FG Presents Letters Of Credence To 11 Ambassadors-Designate

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has presented Letters of Credence to 11 Ambassadors and High Commissioners-designate ahead of their deployment to Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.

The ceremony, held on Monday, saw the minister formally hand over the credentials required for the envoys to assume their assignments in their respective host countries.

The diplomats include former Minister of Aviation, Ambassador Femi Fani-Kayode, who will serve as High Commissioner to South Africa; Ambassador Jane Adams Bassey to Jamaica, with concurrent accreditation to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Belize; Ambassador Samuel Rueben Abimbola Tolulope to Italy, with concurrent accreditation to Albania; Ambassador Joseph John Galgadi to Gabon; Ambassador Danladi Nyaku to Sudan, with concurrent accreditation to Eritrea; Ambassador Ahmed Olatunji Sulu-Gambari to Malaysia; Ambassador Geoffrey Ijeoma David Chima to Mali; Ambassador Philip Ikurusi to Zimbabwe; Ambassador Raymond Abassi to Hungary, with concurrent accreditation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia; Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Mohamed to India, with concurrent accreditation to Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh; and Vice Admiral Ibas Ibok-Ete Ekwe (Rtd), who will serve as High Commissioner to the Philippines with concurrent accreditation to Cambodia.

Addressing the envoys, Enikanolaiye said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda places national development at the centre of Nigeria’s foreign policy. He urged the ambassadors to prioritise attracting foreign direct investment, expanding trade and economic cooperation, strengthening national security, protecting Nigerians abroad and promoting citizen-centred diplomacy.

The minister disclosed that each Head of Mission would receive a customised Station Charter outlining specific performance targets. He added that annual performance assessments would be conducted based on analytical reporting, policy recommendations and measurable outcomes aligned with the President’s foreign policy objectives.

Enikanolaiye also highlighted the Ministry’s reform agenda built around the “4-Ds”—Demography, Development, Democracy and the Diaspora—stressing that Nigerians remain the focal point of the country’s foreign policy. He called for accountability, teamwork and stronger collaboration between the Ministry’s headquarters and missions abroad to ensure diplomacy delivers tangible benefits to citizens.