The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs, Ademola Oshodi, has dismissed concerns over a vacuum in Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements following the delay in appointing ambassadors.
Speaking on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme anchored by Laolu Akande, Oshodi said President Bola Tinubu has been serving as the country’s “number one ambassador,” directly leading global engagements to woo investors and strengthen international partnerships.
Oshodi said, “The ambassadorial situation is a very strategic position taken by the President. We’re going through a tough reform process in the Nigerian economy, and resources are being prioritised. The administration has focused on pressing issues such as infrastructure, security, and food supply. That doesn’t mean there’s a vacuum; the President himself has been our chief envoy.”
Oshodi explained that the absence of appointed ambassadors was not neglect but a strategic and financial decision. He noted that the government had deployed chargés d’affaires to several foreign missions to ensure continuity.
He further stated, “It’s important that the public recognise that there’s no vacuum. Chargés d’affaires have been sent out to fill the gap, and institutions such as the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission are also playing critical roles in attending to diaspora needs.”
His comments come two years after Tinubu recalled all envoys from Nigeria’s 109 missions, 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates, as part of a diplomatic reset.
On September 2, President Tinubu admitted to delays in finalising ambassadorial nominees, citing complex political considerations.
“I couldn’t appoint everybody at once and thank you for your patience. I still have some slots for ambassadorial positions that so many people are craving for. But it’s not easy stitching those names,” Tinubu told members of The Buhari Organisation, who visited him at the Presidential Villa.
Since the September 2023 recall, key foreign missions have been run by chargés d’affaires or senior consular officers pending nomination and Senate confirmation of substantive ambassadors.
Focus On Regional Priorities, Not UNGA
Oshodi stressed that Tinubu’s foreign policy remains vibrant despite fiscal constraints, pointing to his participation in ECOWAS, African Union, BRICS summits, and meetings with global investors.
“President Tinubu has travelled widely, pushing for investment, security collaboration, and climate change cooperation. He has been visible in regional and multilateral fora, especially ECOWAS, where Nigeria continues to play a leadership role,” he said.
Addressing criticism of the President’s absence from the last two United Nations General Assembly sessions, Oshodi said it was a deliberate choice to prioritise regional challenges.
“I don’t believe the President takes the United Nations lightly. But he juggled his priorities and felt it was more important to focus on regional and continental issues, security in the Sahel, cross-border banditry, arms smuggling, and economic integration through ECOWAS and BRICS, all of which have a more direct impact on Nigerians,” Oshodi stated.
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