Newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has pledged to build on the success of the 4D Foreign Policy Priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda and strengthen citizen diplomacy as she takes charge of Nigeria’s foreign affairs.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who was elevated from Minister of State to substantive Minister on Tuesday, 29th April 2026, expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment and vowed to protect Nigeria’s national interests on the global stage.

Speaking at a dinner organised by the Ministry to conclude a three-day induction course for Ambassadors and High Commissioners-Designate and their spouses – her first official function in the new role – she thanked the President for finding her worthy of the position. In statement signed by Dr. Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, she urged the envoys, ministry staff and management to work with her to give Nigeria good international image, while also protecting national interests.

In a separate message on her X handle, the minister said she was truly honoured to assume office and was “humbled by your trust and confidence in my abilities.”

“I look forward to contributing even more to the continued success of the 4D Foreign Policy Priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda, our citizen diplomacy imperatives, and reaffirm to the good people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, my unwavering commitment towards advancing our national interests in the global arena,” she wrote on X.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu had served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs since November 4, 2024 before her elevation.

The 4D Foreign Policy, often called the 4D Doctrine (Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora) was formulated and introduced shortly after the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu in May 2023.

The policy was officially unveiled by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, in August 2023 to guide the administration’s international relations and align with the Renewed Hope Agenda and aimed to reposition Nigeria on the global stage, transitioning from a more inward-looking approach to an active, assertive, and citizen-centered foreign policy, with an emphasis on economic development. (Vanguard News)