In a sweeping diplomatic move with far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s foreign relations, Senate on Thursday confirmed 64 nominees as career and non-career ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, approving a list featuring prominent political figures, former governors, ex-ministers, and seasoned diplomats.
Relatedly, the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) on Thursday subjected President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for the leadership of Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory agencies to rigorous screening.
The candidates unveiled ambitious plans centred on digitisation, strict contract enforcement, stakeholder collaboration, and accelerated gas development to unlock value in the sector.
Among the ambassadorial nominees cleared by the upper chamber were the immediate past chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu; former Minister of Aviation, Chief Olufemi Fani-Kayode; former Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau (rtd); former sole administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd); and former presidential aide, Mr. Reno Omokri.
The confirmation followed the presentation and adoption of the report of Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), after weeks of screening of the nominees forwarded by the presidency.
Presenting the report, Bello told the senate that all the nominees were thoroughly vetted and found suitable for their proposed diplomatic assignments.
He added that no petition or adverse security report was received against any of the nominees during the screening process.
“The committee carefully examined the credentials, experience and competence of all nominees and is satisfied that they are qualified to represent Nigeria in their respective postings,” Bello said.
The confirmed list comprises 34 career ambassadors and high commissioners and 30 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners, bringing the total number to 64.
The nominee from Yobe State, who did not appear before the Committee on Foreign Affairs for screening was not included in the list.
Following the adoption of the report, Senate President Godswill Akpabio formally declared the nominees confirmed and urged them to see their appointments as a call to national service.
Akpabio congratulated the new ambassadors and charged them to project Nigeria’s image positively, deepen bilateral ties, and protect the country’s interests in their host nations.
“You are going out there to represent Nigeria. Wherever you are posted, remember that you carry the image, values and aspirations of over 200 million Nigerians,” the senate president said.
The non-career ambassadors’ list reflected a blend of political experience, technocratic background, and public service experience.
In addition to Yakubu, Fani-Kayode, Omokri, Dambazzau and Ibas, those confirmed included the senator for Ondo South, Jimoh Ibrahim; former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Chief Femi Pedro; former Akwa Ibom senator, Ita Enang; and former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent.
Equally confirmed were Florence Ajimobi, widow of the late former Governor of Oyo State; former Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole; and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Onueze Okocha.
The career ambassadors approved by the senate included Ambassador Nwaobiala Chukwuemeka (Abia); Betso Maimunah Ibrahim (Adamawa); Monica Enebechi (Anambra); Ambassador Mohammed Lele (Bauchi); Syndoph Endoni (Bayelsa); Ambassador Ahmed Monguno (Borno); Ambassador Adams Bassey (Cross River); Ambassador Clark-Omeru Efe(Delta); and Geoffrey David (Ebonyi).
Others were Odumah Ehinosen and Ambassador Wasa Ige (Edo); Ambassador Adeyemi Emmanuel (Ekiti); Ambassador Okechukwu Onaga(Enugu); Ambassador Magaji Umar (Jigawa); Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru(Kaduna); Ambassador Abdussalam Zayyad (Kano); Ambassador Shehu Barde; Ambassador Aminu Nasir (Katsina); Abubakar Musa; Amb. HaidaraMohammed Idris (Kebbi); Amb. Bako Adamu Umar (Kogi); and Amb. Sulu-Gambari Olatunji Ahmed (Kwara).
Also on the career list were Amb. Ramat Mohammed Omobolanle (Lagos); Amb. Shaga John Shamah (Nasarawa); Hamza Mohammed Sallau and Amb. Ibrahim Danlami (Niger); Adeola-Ibrahim Mopelola (Ogun); Reuben Abimbola Samuel (Ondo); Amb. Akande Wahab Adekola (Osun); Amb. Arewa Esther (Oyo); Amb. Gergadi Joseph John (Plateau); Amb. Luther Ogbomode Ayo-Kalata (Rivers); Danladi Yakubu Nyaku (Taraba); and Bello Dogon-Daji Haliru (Sokoto).
The confirmation effectively clears the way for the deployment of the ambassadors to Nigeria’s missions abroad, filling long-standing vacancies and strengthening the country’s diplomatic presence across key global capitals.
Observers said the mix of career diplomats and high-profile political appointees signalled a deliberate attempt by the federal government to recalibrate Nigeria’s foreign policy engagement, leverage political networks and restore momentum to its diplomatic corps.
Meanwhile, the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream, Downstream and Gas) on Thursday, in a rigorous exercise held at the National Assembly, screened Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, nominated by Tinubu as Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and Engineer Saidu Mohammed, nominated as CEO of NMDPRA.
Eyesan and Mohammed assured senators that they would leverage the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to reposition the industry, boost production, attract investments and translate Nigeria’s vast hydrocarbon resources into tangible economic value.
Tinubu had forwarded their names to the senate following the resignation of the pioneer chief executives of the two agencies, Gbenga Komolafe (NUPRC) and Farouk Ahmed (NMDPRA), both appointed in 2021 after the enactment of the PIA.
Addressing the committee, Eyesan emphasised collaboration, technology and data-driven regulation as the pillars of her proposed stewardship of the upstream regulator.
She said, “One of the core pillars for me is collaboration, not just with science, but effective stakeholder collaboration.”
She stated that progress in her previous roles was achieved by identifying key stakeholders, confronting shared pain points and jointly developing solutions.
Eyesan lamented Nigeria’s continued reliance on manual systems in a rapidly evolving global energy industry, warning that the country is “leaving value on the table” by failing to fully digitise operations.
She said, “Without real numbers, you don’t know what you are dealing with. If you don’t have a digitised system in today’s operation, you are losing money.”
Eyesan told senators that asset integrity and robust regulatory frameworks would also be prioritised.
The NUPRC nominee stressed that regulators must work closely with industry players to develop enabling laws, regulations and policies, pledging to partner the senate to channel the sector in the “right direction”.
Eyesan described the PIA as “a valuable document” that must be fully leveraged to meet national objectives, especially as the world transitions at “jet-speed rates”.
Eyesan, a University of Benin economics graduate, brings nearly 33 years of experience from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and its subsidiaries.
She recounted her role in restoring investor confidence during periods of divestment threats, resolving multi-billion-dollar disputes with partners, advancing deep offshore investments and signing Nigeria’s first non-associated gas development contract.
Eyesan also highlighted her contribution to increasing crude oil production from about 1.3 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels per day during her tenure as Executive Vice President, Upstream.
“Having participated as an operator and in developing resources, I believe I have gathered enough experience to regulate the industry and ensure that we maximise the huge opportunities in oil and gas,” she said.
In his presentation, Mohammed focused on restoring discipline to Nigeria’s midstream and downstream gas and petroleum value chains, particularly through strict enforcement of contracts and quality standards.
He said, “Gas is a commodity that is sold before you even start producing it. There must be contracts, from the producer to the transporter to the eventual user.”
He said the absence of enforceable agreements had undermined gas-to-power supply and infrastructure development.
Drawing from his experience as Managing Director of the Nigerian Gas Company and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Mohammed warned against neglecting local capacity.
He said, “We must protect our local interests; otherwise, they will go the way of the textile industry.”
He also acknowledged the importance of meeting domestic demand before exporting surplus products.
Mohammed pledged to operationalise the Gas Network Code to impose discipline across the system, revive pipeline transportation of petroleum products, and attract billions of dollars in investment for gas processing plants and infrastructure.
Mohammed also underscored the importance of quality assurance, promising to strengthen in-house laboratory capacity at the NMDPRA to ensure product standards.
Born in Gombe in 1957, Mohammed, a chemical engineering graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, served across the oil and gas value chain, including as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate at NNPC, and as chairman of several energy sector boards.
He played key roles in landmark projects, such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano Gas Pipeline and Nigeria LNG trains.
Chairman of Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Senator Sumaila Kawu, said the screening came at a “very critical” time for Nigeria, stressing the urgency of boosting energy production to meet national development goals.
Kawu indicated that further engagements with the nominees would continue into January to deepen collaboration between the legislature and regulators.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, added humour to the event when he jokingly pledged to drink when he got home to celebrate the exit of the former regulators from the oil and gas sector.
With the screening concluded, the senate is expected to consider the committee’s report and move towards confirming the nominees, setting the stage for a new leadership phase in Nigeria’s oil and gas regulation under the Tinubu administration.
Sunday Aborisade
Follow us on:
