Olu Allen
A seismic warning from a foreign power often clarifies foggy politics. For the Tinubu administration, Donald Trump’s blunt spotlight on Nigerian insecurity appears to have been the defibrillator that ended a year-long political slumber. Suddenly, Abuja is active.
In rapid succession the President declared a state of emergency on security, halted the culture of VIP police escorts, supervised the “rescue” of kidnapped citizens, and launched a diplomatic blitz, nominating a raft of ambassadors.
On 29 November 2025, the presidency forwarded 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate, days after an earlier three-name batch.
Motion, however, is not strategy. Activity is not preparedness. And a government that wakes up but deploys the wrong players abroad risks turning energetic intention into costly error.
Diplomacy Is National Security – Not Political Compensation
Ambassadors are not ceremonial rewards; they are instruments of national interest. They negotiate trade, secure intelligence sharing, protect diasporas, attract investment, and defend our image at multilateral tables.
Yet this latest list reads more like a reward ledger than a strategy document.
High-profile partisan figures, Reno Omokri and Femi Fani-Kayode among them, appear on the roster alongside former governors, first ladies, and political aides.
The ex-INEC chair, Mahmud Yakubu, is also named. These are public figures; their nominations were widely reported.
If the objective is partisanship, fine, but even partisan appointments should advance national interest.
There are APC technocrats, policy thinkers, seasoned business executives and credible career diplomats who would represent Nigeria with gravitas. Why do loudness and loyalty still outscore competence and networks?
Anticipating the Defenders: “But Everyone Does It”
You’ll hear two standard defenses.
First: “Even great democracies appoint political allies.” True, but not analogous. When major powers send political nominees, those nominees generally bring global networks, executive experience, or proven public-diplomacy skills. They arrive with portfolios, not only party cards.
Second: “They’re Nigerians, give them a chance.” We have given chances, and the record shows missed investments, avoidable diplomatic gaffes, and avoidable friction at multilateral fora.
Diplomacy is not a finishing school; it is high-stakes practice. We cannot train our way out of strategic deficits during crises.
The Real Costs of Amateur Diplomacy
This is not theoretical. The consequences are concrete:
Security cooperation: Sensitive intelligence sharing with allies requires trusted interlocutors, not novices.
Investment: Multi-billion-dollar deals hinge on diplomats who can negotiate specifics and close transactions.
Diaspora management: Nigerians abroad need consular competence, visas, legal protection, crisis response.
International reputation: Loud domestic politics exported abroad weakens negotiating leverage.
Put simply: we cannot send amateur boxers into championship fights where national security and economic futures are the stakes.
What a Strategic Diplomatic Corps Looks Like
If the Tinubu administration wants a credible reset, it must professionalize its appointments immediately.
- A 70% Career Core. The backbone of our foreign service should be trained, tested diplomats with institutional memory.
- A Rigor Test for Non-Career Nominees. Non-career appointees must demonstrate: global exposure, relevant networks, policy or business experience, and unimpeachable ethics.
- Deployment by Competence. Trade specialists to trade capitals; security-literate envoys to intelligence partners; multilateralists to the UN, AU, and UNESCO.
- Independent Vetting. Create a non-partisan validation panel, modeled on best practice systems, to publicly certify nominees against clear criteria.
- Transparency of Rationale. For each non-career nominee, publish a one-page justification linking skills to the proposed posting. Accountability begins with explanation.
A Call to Statesmanship – Not Sentiment
This nomination list can still be redeemed. The president should pause and reassess.
The Senate, tasked with confirmation, must insist on a publicly defensible standard and refuse to rubber stamp appointments that fail the test of national interest.
Nigeria is waking up. That is welcome. But waking up without wisdom is merely the first step of a stumble. If Tinubu truly wishes to rewrite the narrative, he must choose statesmen over stagecraft. He must ensure our diplomats strengthen our interests, not amplify our domestic theatrics.
That is the patriotism this moment demands. That is the intelligence Nigeria deserves. And history will judge whether leadership chose wisely.
Allen writes on public affairs and promote good governance. He can be reached via mrallenolu@gmail.com
