Reno misses out as FG screens Fani-Kayode, Femi Pedro, others as ambassadorial nominees

The Federal Government has begun vetting candidates for ambassadorial postings across its 109 diplomatic missions, including 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates.

According to a report by Punch, credible sources revealed that former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and former Lagos State Deputy Governor Femi Pedro are among the individuals undergoing screening.

The paper revealed that the process is being carried out through regional offices of the Department of State Services (DSS), rather than through a centralised mechanism.

Presidency officials confirmed that nominees have been contacted and asked to submit personal, educational, and professional records.

“They’re already doing security checks with DSS. When they have cleared security checks, we will release the list. Only those who have been cleared are announced. The process is ongoing. I know that we should have a list before the end of this month (April),” an official disclosed anonymously.

Another source stated, “The vetting is not done centrally. It is based on the location of the nominees. Nominees have been reached to provide personal history and information such as where they attended school, what appointments they have held, and the like. So, it is by location.”

Since September 2023, President Bola Tinubu has operated his foreign policy built on the “4Ds”—Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora—without confirmed ambassadors in place. That same month, he recalled more than 83 ambassadors, both career and political.

In December, sources said the President spent part of his holiday reviewing nominees for diplomatic assignments with plans to send a consolidated list to the National Assembly. However, the process was delayed in January due to financial constraints.

One presidency insider said the delay was largely due to the estimated $1 billion required to settle outstanding obligations including the arrears of foreign service staff, renovations, and vehicle replacements.

“You see, the major issue is money. Not money to pay them [ambassadors], because how much is their salaries and benefits? The main money is CAPEX [Capital Expenditure]. By the time they put the cost together to fix the issues, it is running to almost $1bn.

“Most of those embassies, almost 90 per cent, are rundown. Either the residence is not good, the embassy does not have a functional office, or their rent has expired… I understand that some of them don’t have serviceable vehicles… Some of them don’t even have power and running water,” the source explained.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has also blamed the delay on lack of adequate funding.

“It is a money problem,” Tuggar said during a May 2023 ministerial briefing in Abuja. “There is no point sending out ambassadors if you do not have the funds for them to even travel to their designated countries and to run the missions effectively… Mr President is working on it, and it will be done in due course.”

Although the 2025 budget includes provisions to address some of the issues, insiders say the funding is insufficient.

While the complete list of ambassadorial nominees remains classified, officials confirmed that several prominent figures are undergoing screening.

“They’re going to announce the appointments soon. They are being screened as we speak… FFK [Femi Fani-Kayode] is on the list. These are some of the controversial names that have been put forward as well. Then there is Fola Adeola [co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank] and Femi Pedro too. They’re moving on with the process more quickly this time,” a source said.

According to another official, the rigorous screening is intended to ensure none of the candidates pose reputational or security risks to the country.

There were speculations that former presidential aide Reno Omokri had been shortlisted, but a source in the presidency dismissed the claim.

“Reno is not on the list. But FFK is there,” the source said.

Presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga confirmed that the list will include both career and political nominees and will undergo multiple layers of review before submission to the legislature.

“Don’t forget that the ambassadorial list has two components. There are career ambassadors and political ambassadors. The foreign affairs list and the consolidated list will still go through certain processes before they are released,” he said.

Two individuals believed to be among the nominees declined to comment when contacted. They neither confirmed nor denied their inclusion.