Nigeria recalls its ambassadors from all over the world, here is why

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has recalled all the Nigerian ambassadors from across the world with immediate effect to ensure efficiency in service delivery. Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said in a statement, that the Nigerian leader "is determined to ensure world-class efficiency and quality, and will henceforth, characterize foreign and domestic service delivery to citizens, residents and prospective visitors alike."   

Ambassadors 'serve at the behest of the president'

Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, was quoted saying that all career ambassadors and non-career ambassadors of Nigeria were asked to return to the country on instructions of President Tinubu. Alkasim Abdulkadir, the country's foreign minister’s special adviser on Media and Communications Strategy, confirmed the development in an official statement published on September 2.

This week, President Tinubu recalled Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, the first among many more, without giving any reasons for the suspension of the diplomatic presence. 

All the Nigerian ambassadors who serve as the representatives of the country overseas "serve at the behest of the president and it is his prerogative to send or recall them from any country," Abdulkadir said in a statement.

He added that the President of Nigeria will "appoint new envoys and will reassign the existing ones new assignments." 

Nigeria's presidential spokesperson Ngelale notified that the abrupt recall was a sequel to the president’s “careful study” of the state of affairs at Nigerian Consulate Offices and Embassies worldwide. This decision was made "in line with the President’s renewed hope agenda," he iterated. The latter continued to inform that Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations (UN) in New York and Geneva have been exempted from the recall. This was due to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly that is scheduled for later this month. Tinubu is expected to hold talks with the US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Nigerian ambassadors have ''until the end of October'' to go back home, as per the orders of the Nigerian President, Nigerian ambassadors told TRT Afrika. ''The decision affects both career and non-career ambassadors,'' the diplomat, who requested anonymity, said. Nigeria has over 109 diplomatic missions worldwide, including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates.