Tinubu Posts Kayode Are as Ambassador-designate to US, Ayodele Oke to France

President Bola Tinubu has approved the posting of Kayode Are, former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to the United States.

Are, who hails from Ogun state, was among four nominees whose postings were confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson.

Ayodele Oke was posted to France; Amin Dalhatu, former ambassador to South Korea, was appointed high commissioner-designate to the United Kingdom (UK); while Usman Dakingari, former governor of Kebbi, is the ambassador-designate to Turkey.

Tinubu is scheduled to visit Turkey for a state trip next week.

“In a memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Tinubu urged the ministry to notify the governments of the four countries about the ambassador-designates, in accordance with diplomatic procedures,” the statement reads.

Oke, Are, and Dalhatu were confirmed as non-career ambassadors last month.

Sani Bello, senator representing Niger north and chairman of the committee on foreign affairs, said the nominees were thoroughly screened and found suitable for diplomatic assignments.

The trio formed the first set of ambassadorial nominees recommended by Tinubu to the senate in November, following nearly two years of vacancies at missions abroad.

In the same month, the president sent the names of 32 more ambassadorial nominees to the senate for confirmation.

Some of them included Reno Omokri, former presidential aide; Mahmood Yakubu, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister; and Fatima Florence Ajimobi, former Oyo first lady.

In December, a total of 64 ambassadorial nominees were confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed nominees to 67 (including Oke, Are, and Dalhatu).

Of the 67, 34 are career ambassadors, while 33 are non-career ambassadors.

Career ambassadors are professional diplomats who rise through the ranks of a foreign service, while non-career ambassadors are typically political appointees selected for reasons like expertise outside diplomacy or loyalty.

At the time, Onanuga said the 64 nominees would be posted to countries with which Nigeria maintains excellent and strategic bilateral relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, and to permanent missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.