Tinubu

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies, has now spent over 13 months without ambassadors in 109 diplomatic missions worldwide.

The diplomatic vacuum has raised serious concerns about the country’s standing in the global arena and its capacity to navigate the increasingly complex international relations.

For more than a year, Nigeria has lacked formal representation at the highest levels of diplomacy, leaving the country at a disadvantage in engaging with global partners.

Following President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration, a reassessment of foreign policy led to the recall of 83 ambassadors; both career and non-career from their posts in September 2023, but the subsequent appointment of replacements has yet to occur.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, had said the ambassadors served at the president’s behest in their host nations and that it was the President’s “prerogative to send or recall them from any country.”

The envoys were instructed to return to Nigeria by October 31, marking a shift in diplomatic strategy and suggesting that the government was looking to realign its foreign engagements to better serve national interests.

However, more than a year later, the anticipated appointments of new ambassadors have yet to materialise, creating a diplomatic vacuum that has left the country’s missions leaderless and its voice on the global stage weakened.

This prolonged diplomatic vacuum echoes the delays seen during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which took 17 to 20 months to establish ambassadorial positions.

The implications of this prolonged absence are far-reaching. At a time when global diplomacy is becoming more intricate, Nigeria finds itself without the ability to fully engage with other nations or participate in critical trade and security negotiations.

Ambassadors play an indispensable role in representing their country’s interests abroad, managing bilateral relations, and serving as key players in multilateral organisations. Their absence means missed opportunities and a weakening of Nigeria’s influence in global affairs.

While the Federal Government has made some progress by appointing 12 consuls-general and five chargés d’affaires to represent the country in 14 countries in April 2024, these appointments fall short of filling the gap.

Consuls-general and chargés d’affaires can handle routine administrative duties and oversee the day-to-day operations of an embassy, but they do not possess the authority or diplomatic weight to engage at the highest levels, such as with heads of state or critical international negotiations.

The absence of full ambassadors is a glaring omission at a time when Nigeria needs strong representation more than ever.

This diplomatic void is not just a procedural issue; it has real consequences for the nation’s global influence, its ability to secure international investments, and its role in shaping policies that affect the African continent and beyond.

On May 28, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the situation, citing a lack of funds as the primary reason for the delay in appointing new ambassadors.

Few days later, the MFA’s spokesperson, Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, said any new ambassadorial appointments will depend on budget allocations. “I guess the funds may be included in the supplementary budget, but for now, there is no clear way forward without funds,” Abu-Ode stated.

The admission highlights a troubling intersection between diplomacy and economics, with financial constraints halting Nigeria’s global engagement.

The issue of funding underscores deeper problems within Nigeria’s diplomatic apparatus. With no clear timeline for when the budgetary issues will be resolved, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is left in a holding pattern.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s international partners may interpret this prolonged inaction as a sign of instability or disinterest in global affairs.

This perception can be damaging, particularly for a country that relies on foreign investments and international partnerships to fuel its economic growth.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced the appointment of Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree as the new Director of Energy Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The appointment, according to a statement issued by Zakari Mijinyawa, Head of Strategic Communications at ONSA, is part of the government’s commitment to ensuring a stable, sustainable, and secure energy supply for all Nigerians.

Amachree, who boasts over 20 years of experience in business, politics, and energy sector engagement, is expected to bring his expertise to bear in addressing the country’s energy challenges.

Amachree, who boasts over 20 years of experience in business, politics, and energy sector engagement, is expected to bring his expertise to bear in addressing the country’s energy challenges.

He holds degrees in Management and is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School. His proven track record of leadership in both public and private sectors, particularly in the Niger Delta.

The Energy Security Directorate, a new unit in ONSA, will focus on policy coordination, infrastructure protection strategies, data management, security coordination, risk advisory, and strategic alliances in the energy sector.

“As the new Director of Energy Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Amachree will work closely with various stakeholders, including government ministries, security agencies, regulators in the energy sector, international partners, and community leaders to implement innovative solutions to Nigeria’s current and future energy challenges,” the statement said.

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law, a new bill for the Establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

This was disclosed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu at a workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Preventing the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region.

Speaking during the event which took place in Abuja on Tuesday, the NSA said the assent of the bill by the president was key in the present administration’s plan to curb the movement of illegal arms across Nigeria and the West African region.

Represented by Ibrahim Babani, the Director of External Affairs, Office of the National Security Adviser, Ribadu said the law will strengthen the centre’s mandate for needed actions.

His words, “Moreover, the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons underscores the collective responsibility of our region in curbing the spread of these dangerous weapons.”

He said that the proliferation of arms and weapons across the region affects women and children in conflict areas a great deal.

He further reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the people across the region.

Some Nigerians seem to have had enough of the frequent distribution of rice by the federal government as a means of alleviating suffering.

Since the current administration came into office, it has relied heavily on the staple, sharing it in different quantities to Nigerians when they deem it necessary.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, on Sunday, announced that the federal government has given ministers 1,200 bags of rice each for another round of distribution as palliatives.

A section of social media users have now asked for an addition to the rice to avoid monotony.

@olivepraise on Instagram wrote “no light-share rice, no fuel-share rice, bad govt-share rice, floods-share rice, high electricity tariff-share rice. What is it haven’t you doe enough?”

Also on Instagram, @sisi-yemmie wrote “at least add beans”

@leeeymarrrrh wrote “Even Israelites no eat rice reach Nigerians…wetin happen”

On X, @AfcMacdon wrote, “So it’s only rice that can sort our economic issues in this country… Naija which way forward .. this is getting out of hand”

@maneekofficial raised concern about the rice getting to those who really needed it. He wrote, “You have to be a very lucky person to get that rice, because the rice won’t even get to one percent of the population.”

A fresh revelation has emerged about the Minister of Sports, John Enoh, who recently purchased a brand-new Toyota Prado LC300 3.5L Twin Turbo Auto leather seat valued at N142.7 million.

This extravagant spending comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with the effects of economic hardship.

According to documents, the payment for the luxury vehicle was made on July 8, 2024, to QLS Global Services Limited, the company responsible for supplying the vehicle. An additional N7,137,137.36 was paid to the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) as a 5% tax on the vehicle purchase.

Further investigations revealed that the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, also benefited from similar largesse.

On May 21, 2024, the NFF splurged N87.3 million on an official vehicle for the federation’s president. The funds were paid to Mujaf Automobile Nigeria Ltd.

It can be recalled that the Minister planned to spend N300 million on two vehicles – a Toyota Prado and a Lexus Jeep RX 570 – as captured in the 2024 budget.

The Toyota Prado has now been acquired by the Minister.

Records show that the NFF spent N37 million on auditing services over the past two years. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) received N18.8 million on May 8, 2024, for auditing the federation’s 2023 accounts. An identical sum was paid for auditing services for the 2022 accounts, and N9.4 million was paid in July 2021 for auditing the 2020 records.