The government of Bola Tinubu is facing fresh diplomatic hurdles as India and some yet-to-be-identified nations signal reluctance to accept several of Nigeria’s recently appointed ambassadors-designate.
Senior officials within the Presidency and the Nigerian foreign service revealed on Tuesday that India operates a standing diplomatic policy that discourages the acceptance of ambassadors from governments with less than two years remaining in office.
The policy is reportedly affecting the posting of career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru, who was designated to serve in New Delhi.
Sources familiar with the situation told The SocietyGist that the Asian country is exercising its discretionary powers to decline the request by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to approve Dahiru’s appointment.
The development confirms an earlier report in February indicating that several of Tinubu’s nominees might encounter difficulties securing approval from host countries due to the limited time left in the administration’s current tenure.
Diplomatic insiders said the Federal Government had begun receiving signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals regarding their reluctance to grant agrément — the formal consent a receiving country must give before a foreign ambassador can assume duty.
One Presidency official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, said India’s policy is already influencing the diplomatic process.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years left in office. So they are already giving us that body language,” the official said.
According to the source, the hesitation is not necessarily about the individuals nominated but about the short time they may serve before Nigeria’s next political transition.
“Some countries are reluctant not because of the nominees themselves but because of timing. With about a year left before the next election, they see the Tinubu administration as nearing the end of its term,” the official explained.
Another senior foreign service official confirmed India’s policy but expressed optimism that Nigeria could leverage its longstanding relationship with the country to secure an exception.
“I know India has that policy. When a government has less than two years left, accepting ambassadors becomes difficult. But perhaps our diplomatic relationship can help us scale through that,” the official said.
The source added that some countries may also weigh political dynamics ahead of Nigeria’s next presidential election, scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission for January 16, 2027.
“There are those who assess political trends. Some may believe the current administration still has a strong chance in the next election, and that may influence their decision,” the official noted.
However, the official stressed that India is the only country with a clearly confirmed policy against accepting ambassadors from governments nearing the end of their term, though others may follow similar conventions.
“India is the only one I can confirm for now. For others, it will depend on their diplomatic practices and internal policies,” the source said.
A third official disclosed that while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already secured funds for the mandatory induction training for ambassadors-designate, the timeline for the programme remains uncertain.
“On the training, we don’t know when for now, but the funds are already available to conduct the induction course,” the source added.
On March 6, President Tinubu approved the posting of 65 ambassadors-designate and high commissioners to different countries and international organisations. Among the nominees are former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode (Germany), presidential aide Reno Omokri (Mexico), former Katsina State governor Abdulrahman Dambazzau (China), and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who was nominated as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has only secured agrément from the United Kingdom for High Commissioner-designate Aminu Dalhatu and from France for Ambassador Ayodele Oke, leaving the fate of the remaining 63 nominees uncertain.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, host countries must formally approve the appointment of ambassadors before they can be accredited.
Former Nigerian envoy to Singapore, Ambassador Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the stance taken by receiving states is largely pragmatic given Nigeria’s approaching election cycle.
“The underlying word here is pragmatism,” he said. “Why receive letters of credence from an envoy representing a president who has barely a year left in office when elections can change the political landscape?”
He added that the delay by the administration in nominating ambassadors may have contributed to the current diplomatic challenge.
“The mistake was waiting two to three years into the administration before making these nominations,” he said.
Similarly, former Nigerian ambassador to Algeria, Mohammed Mabdul, suggested that political appointees may face greater scrutiny than career diplomats.
“Political appointees may be the issue because once they are accredited, they are expected to remain for two or three years. With elections approaching, they may return home for campaigns and may not make much impact,” Mabdul said.
The diplomatic uncertainty could further delay the government’s efforts to restore full ambassadorial representation across Nigeria’s missions abroad. The positions have remained largely vacant since September 2023 when the Tinubu administration recalled 83 ambassadors from 109 foreign missions.
Despite the setback, Nigeria and India have continued to deepen diplomatic relations. President Tinubu attended the G20 Summit in New Delhi in 2023, where he met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss cooperation in defence, agriculture, trade and investment.
In November 2024, Modi made his first visit to Nigeria in 17 years, during which both countries signed agreements on cultural exchange, customs cooperation and survey collaboration, strengthening the India–Nigeria Strategic Partnership first established in 2007.