Delaying ambassadors comes at a high cost

As the old cliché goes, you cannot give what you don’t have. In this case, if he lacks the capacity to rule this country, he cannot. Simple. Last week’s ambassadorial list was another demonstration of the shambolic state of this administration. There were 32 names on the list, following an initial nomination of three, for a total of 35. The announcement came as a response to Trump’s call to the claims of Christian genocide. With regard to security, there is strong empirical evidence that diplomatic missions reduce the risk of miscalculation by providing steady contact and reliable reporting. Another theory holds that a regular diplomatic presence helps states manage disputes without sliding into conflict. But the administrators of the Tinubu administration do not seem to be aware of this. Hence, they let Nigeria slide into chaos. And it is after 30 months in power, with only 18 months remaining, that they realised that the country needs ambassadors to represent their mandate abroad. But even after getting the wake-up call, they could only find 35 Nigerians to nominate out of all the millions around. These 35 nominees are expected to be sprinkled across our 109 global diplomatic missions: 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates. With 35 nominees on the table, one can clearly see that the figure falls short of Federal Character requirements. That is before counting double figures for some states. And by the time you read the published names, without using a microscope, you cannot help but shake your head. Fifteen of them are from the North, while 19 are from the South. Of those from the South, 11 are from the South West. When you add the one from Kwara, you get 12 Yoruba-speaking nominees, which makes about 1 out of every 3. And remember, in the run-up to the 2023 general elections, one of the nominees swore never to work under Tinubu if he won. The same person even called him a drug baron. Then there is a $43 million corruption case, albeit dropped, involving one of the nominees. If Prof Mahmood Yakubu’s nomination is correct, instead of Mahmud Yakubu of Ekiti state, many Nigerians will be wary. The main reason for raising these issues regarding certain nominees is that we do not want Nigeria to be internationally disgraced. True, Trump called us that, but we do not want it to be internationally confirmed. Countries can reject a nominee if the Tinubu administration fails to vet them appropriately. This is not new. A host country can reject an ambassador’s appointment if the nomination is considered unsuitable. In fact, the host country has the diplomatic power to declare a person persona non grata—an unacceptable person—and does not require a reason for the rejection. By implication, a leader who picks poor administrators fails this test—and so invites failure. But the intent here is not to put any of the nominees under a microscope; it is just a patriotic call. The presumption is that even if Tinubu was not in charge of the nominations, the administrators of his administration should be able to nominate 109 competent individuals to represent the country during these turbulent times. No. They could not. Looking at the economic side, Andrew Rose’s well-known study on embassies shows that countries can gain in trade by having ambassadors. A diplomatic mission can increase a country’s exports by roughly 6–10 per cent, mainly through better information and lower transaction costs. In Africa, Nigeria has 46 embassies. Nigeria is needed to address many demands across Africa. From trade with the Southern African countries to building gas pipelines and other infrastructure in Northern Africa. This is before discussing the pressing demands of our four neighbours: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Some of them have closed their borders due to terror-related issues, trade is impacted, and tension within ECOWAS keeps escalating since some countries announced their exit. These countries, along with other African countries, are Nigeria’s third-largest trading partners—behind China and India. Needless to say, Nigeria’s representation in ECOWAS, including those who left the union, is desperately needed for economic and defence reasons. It will be reckless for this administration not to consider formalising a representation in these countries. Outside Africa, Nigeria desperately needs to align with its economic partners. We all know oil is our highest source of revenue. The seven non-African OPEC countries will require Nigeria’s presence, and if that happens, there will be a need for formal representation in Austria, where OPEC’s headquarters reside. But knowing that Austria is in Europe, many of the other 22 European-based diplomatic missions will demand representation. This includes key trade partners like the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. Of course, it is expected that France and Britain will join the US and the United Nations on our priority list. And let us not forget the BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with which Nigeria became an official partner of the group in January 2025. If we expect to benefit from trade access and investment opportunities, then we must have representation within these countries. For every policy Tinubu has made since his inauguration, we keep getting proof that he does not have the national outreach we expect of a Nigerian president. Evidence proves critics were right to declare that Tinubu’s political and, by extension, social network comprises mainly Yoruba people, with very little spread across the country. And it will be difficult for anyone to vouch for him as having competent individuals without political baggage. To put it politely, the Tinubu circle is filled with individuals of questionable character. They could bring shame to the country if care is not taken. But as we know, a person chooses his circles within his capacity. This is why Tinubu’s administrators think like him, too. And because of their social limitations, naming 109 nominees has become a mountain for them. It took them 30 months to come up with one-third of the figure. It is a relief to know they have only 18 months to go.

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