The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has assured that the names of nominated ambassadors will be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation in the very near future.
The Minister disclosed this, on Thursday, while interacting with journalists when he was featured at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Tuggar said, “It is what it is. It’s the nature of governance. It’s the nature of politics. You work with the circumstances you find yourself.”
“I want to assure you that in the near future, names of the nominated ambassadors will be forwarded to the Senate. It is something that is concluded.”
“Despite the delay in appointing ambassadors, Nigeria’s missions abroad are functioning effectively.”
“We have immigration there, we have defense, we have military officers there, and several others,” he explained.
The Minister also addressed concerns regarding Chinese visas, stating that Nigeria is not collaborating with Chinese authorities in arresting individuals.
He attributed the issue to Chinese nationals who travelled during the COVID-19 pandemic without proper documentation.
On national security, Tuggar highlighted Nigeria’s progress in combating Boko Haram.
“Boko Haram has been severely degraded,” he said, citing the establishment of a safe corridor in Borno where suspected militants are being sorted out, reoriented, tried, or resettled.
Tuggar expressed pride in Nigeria’s contributions to regional peacebuilding efforts, citing examples from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the northeast.
He emphasized the importance of recognizing Nigeria’s achievements and learning from its experiences.
“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. I want to assure you that in the near future, the names of the nominated ambassadors will be forwarded to the Senate. It is something that is concluded.
“We have missions 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,” he said.
Speaking further, the minister also spoke on the issue regarding infants evacuated from Gaza.
He explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, worked with the Red Cross to handle the situation.
Tuggar noted that the Red Cross had approached the ministry for assistance in relocating vulnerable infants from Gaza to hospitals in countries like Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.
“We used our good offices and diplomacy to contact the governments of Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt, and impressed upon them the need to take in such children.”
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