Nigeria’s High Commissioner-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, and the High Commissioner-designate to the Philippines with concurrent accreditation to Cambodia, Vice Admiral Ibas Ibok-Ete Ekwe (retd.), have received their letters of credence alongside nine others.

They are expected to resume at their respective diplomatic missions abroad anytime from now.

A statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the ambassadors-designate were presented their letters of credence on Monday by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.

The other envoys are: Ambassador Jane Adams Bassey, Ambassador-designate to Jamaica, with concurrent accreditation to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Belize; Ambassador Samuel Rueben Abimbola Tolulope, Ambassador-designate to Italy, with concurrent accreditation to Albania; Ambassador Joseph John Galgadi, Ambassador-designate to Gabon; Ambassador Danladi Nyaku, Ambassador-designate to the Republic of the Sudan, with concurrent accreditation to Eritrea; Ambassador Ahmed Olatunji Sulu-Gambari, Ambassador-designate to Malaysia; Ambassador Geoffrey Ijeoma David Chima, Ambassador-designate to Mali; Ambassador Philip Ikurusi, Ambassador-designate to Zimbabwe; Ambassador Raymond Abassi, Ambassador-designate to Hungary, with concurrent accreditation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia; Ambassador Saidu Dahiru Mohamed, Ambassador-designate to India, with concurrent accreditation to Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

The statement said the minister urged the envoys to vigorously pursue Nigeria’s strategic interests by attracting foreign direct investment, creating opportunities for trade and economic cooperation, promoting national security, protecting the welfare of Nigerians abroad, and advancing citizen-centred diplomacy.

He also reminded the envoys that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) prioritises Nigeria’s foreign policy to serve national development.

He informed the envoys that each Head of Mission would receive a customised Station Charter containing clearly defined objectives and that annual performance evaluations would be conducted to assess delivery against the President’s mandates through analytical reporting, policy recommendations and measurable outcomes.

The minister also emphasised the Ministry’s reform agenda, anchored on the Four-Ds: Demography, Development, Democracy, and the Diaspora, at its core. Enikanolaiye buttressed the fact that the Nigerians are now the centrepiece of the nation’s Foreign Policy as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The minister also underscored the importance of accountability, responsiveness, teamwork and continuous engagement between the headquarters and missions to ensure that Nigeria’s diplomacy delivers tangible benefits to the citizens.

Responding on behalf of the ambassadors and high commissioners-designate, Vice Admiral Ibas expressed profound appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the comprehensive induction and preparation provided over the past several months.

He assured the minister that the envoys fully understood the mandate entrusted to them by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and pledged to faithfully implement Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives, uphold the country’s image with professionalism and integrity, and work collectively to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda and Nigeria’s national interests while maintaining close collaboration with the Ministry throughout their tour of duty. (The Nation)

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