President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent three ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation. Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the names during plenary. This list represents the administration’s first set of envoy appointments since Tinubu recalled all Nigerian ambassadors in September 2023.
The non-career nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo State), Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun State) and Ambassador Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu (Jigawa State). Tinubu said he made the nominations under Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He also urged the Senate to consider and confirm them without delay.
The Senate immediately referred the letter to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. The committee will report back within one week. Once confirmed, the nominees will assume key posts in Nigerian missions abroad.
Lateef Kayode Are: Veteran in Security and Intelligence
Lateef Kayode Are, born in 1955, is a retired Army Colonel and a long-serving intelligence officer. He earned a First Class degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan and later obtained a Master’s in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.
He entered the Nigerian Defence Academy as part of Regular Course 12 and became a Second Lieutenant in 1974. Over time, he worked in several intelligence roles and rose to the rank of Colonel before his compulsory retirement in 1993.
Are returned to public service in 1999 as Director General of the State Security Service (SSS). He led the agency until 2007, making him its longest-serving DG. He also worked as Deputy National Security Adviser and briefly acted as National Security Adviser in 2010.
Ayodele Oke: Former NIA DG Cleared After Investigation
Ambassador Ayodele Oke, from Oyo State, is a retired diplomat and former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He built a 30-year career in foreign service and intelligence, focusing on multilateral diplomacy and national security.
Oke headed the NIA from 2013 to 2017 and oversaw Nigeria’s external intelligence operations. His work covered counter-terrorism, strategic analysis and global partnerships. In 2017, authorities suspended him after security agents discovered large sums of money in a Lagos apartment linked to the NIA. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ended the case in 2023 and withdrew all proceedings, which cleared him of wrongdoing.
Before leading the NIA, Oke served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. He also held several senior positions at NIA headquarters, including Director of regional operations.
Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu: Skilled Career Diplomat
Ambassador Aminu Muhammad Dalhatu, from Jigawa State, is a seasoned career diplomat and a former Ambassador to South Korea. He presented his Letters of Credence in Seoul in 2017. During his tenure, he strengthened Nigeria–Korea relations in trade, investment and culture.
He also supervised consular services and promoted Nigeria’s image abroad. Dalhatu hosted official delegations and worked closely with government and business leaders. Before his assignment in South Korea, he held several key roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Foreign Service.
With these nominees, Tinubu moves to re-establish Nigeria’s diplomatic presence after the 2023 recall. The appointments also signal a renewed effort to reposition Nigeria’s foreign relations.
