By Bukola Hameed
The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the appointment of 67 ambassadorial nominees, clearing them for both career and non-career diplomatic assignments after deliberations during plenary on Thursday.
Of the total approved, 34 are career ambassadors, while 30 are non-career ambassadors. The Senate had earlier ratified three non-career nominees, bringing the overall number of confirmed ambassadors to 67.
Among the newly confirmed career ambassadors are Arewa Esther (Oyo), Adeola-Ibrahim Mopelola (Ogun), Ramat Omonbolale (Lagos), Monica Okechukwu Enebechi (Anambra), Adams Jane Basset (Cross River), Mohammed Lele (Bauchi), and Muhammad Dahiru (Kaduna).
The list of non-career ambassadors includes Florence Ajimobi and Sulola Akande (Oyo), Ifeanyi Uguwanyi (Enugu), Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom), former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode (Osun), Jerry Manwe (Taraba), Reno Omokri (Delta), Ibas Ibok-Ette (Cross River), former Minister of Defence Abdulrahman Dambazzau (Kano), and Abas Braimah (Edo), among others.
The confirmation followed the screening and clearance of the nominees by the Senate, marking a significant step in strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic presence and advancing the country’s foreign policy objectives across different regions of the world.