The Federal Government has presented Letters of Credence to 11 ambassadors and high commissioners-designate ahead of their deployment to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad….
The Federal Government has presented Letters of Credence to 11 ambassadors and high commissioners-designate ahead of their deployment to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.
The Letters of Credence were presented on Monday by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, as part of preparations for the envoys to assume their respective postings.
The envoys include Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, High Commissioner-designate to South Africa; Ambassador Jane Adams Bassey, Ambassador-designate to Jamaica with concurrent accreditation to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Belize; Ambassador Samuel Rueben Abimbola Tolulope, Ambassador-designate to Italy with concurrent accreditation to Albania; Ambassador Joseph John Galgadi, Ambassador-designate to Gabon; Ambassador Danladi Nyaku, Ambassador-designate to Sudan with concurrent accreditation to Eritrea; and Ambassador Ahmed Olatunji Sulu-Gambari, Ambassador-designate to Malaysia.
Others are Ambassador Geoffrey Ijeoma David Chima, Ambassador-designate to Mali; Ambassador Philip Ikurusi, Ambassador-designate to Zimbabwe; Ambassador Raymond Abassi, Ambassador-designate to Hungary with concurrent accreditation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia; Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Mohamed, Ambassador-designate to India with concurrent accreditation to Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh; and Vice Admiral Ibas Ibok-Ete Ekwe (Rtd), High Commissioner-designate to the Philippines with concurrent accreditation to Cambodia.
Addressing the diplomats, Enikanolaiye said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda places national development at the centre of Nigeria’s foreign policy, urging the envoys to promote the country’s strategic interests while attracting foreign direct investment, expanding trade and economic cooperation, strengthening national security and protecting the welfare of Nigerians abroad.
He disclosed that each Head of Mission would receive a customised Station Charter containing clearly defined objectives, while annual performance assessments would be conducted to measure their effectiveness through analytical reporting, policy recommendations and measurable outcomes.
The minister also highlighted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ reform agenda, anchored on the four pillars of Demography, Development, Democracy and the Diaspora, stressing that Nigerians now occupy the centre of the country’s foreign policy.
He further called for accountability, responsiveness, teamwork and stronger collaboration between the ministry’s headquarters and Nigeria’s missions abroad to ensure diplomacy delivers tangible benefits for citizens.
Speaking on behalf of the ambassadors and high commissioners-designate, Vice Admiral Ibas Ibok-Ete Ekwe (Rtd) thanked the ministry for the extensive orientation and preparation provided to the envoys.
He assured the government that they understood the responsibilities entrusted to them by President Tinubu and pledged to implement Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives, uphold the country’s image with professionalism and integrity, and work collectively to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda while maintaining close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.