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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government, yesterday, addressed concerns over the delay in the appointment of ambassadors by President Bola Tinubu.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, while speaking during the ongoing ministerial briefing in Abuja, said the delay was part of the nature of governance and politics.
He, however, assured Nigerians and the international community that the list of the ambassadorial nominees would be transmitted soon to the Senate.
He further said in order to ensure that diplomatic operations continued smoothly across the missions, the Nigerian embassies were currently manned by officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The delayed nomination of ambassadors is what it is. It is the nature of governance and politics. You work with the circumstances you find yourself in. I want to assure you that in the near future, names of the nominee ambassadors will be forwarded to the Senate. It is something that is concluded.
“We have mission officers running the embassies for now. We have immigration, defence, military officers and several others. It does not mean that the missions are halted simply because an ambassador has not been appointed. We are working. Our missions are functioning,” Tuggar said.
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On his stewardship in the ministry, he said through active international engagement, the ministry has clearly defined Nigeria’s global role and interests.
The minister also said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under his leadership, has amplified Nigeria’s voice multilaterally and bilaterally, advancing national interests significantly.
“We have articulated President Bola Tinubu’s 4D Foreign Policy Doctrine, Democracy, Development, Diaspora and Demography,” he also said.
He further said the ministry succeeded in securing freedom for Nigerians detained abroad, particularly in Addis Ababa, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The ministry, Tuggar also said, led humanitarian initiatives by evacuating African students from Ukraine and also supported Palestinian children affected by conflict.
“Deployed 213 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
“Key sectors – volunteers served in education, healthcare, engineering and infrastructure, agriculture, ICT, legal services and environmental management. Soft power diplomacy – strengthened Nigeria’s global influence through technical assistance and capacity building,” Tuggar disclosed.
