President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated non-career ambassadors for three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

It was reports that the postings will be finalised following Senate screening. The three nominees are Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are, and Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu.

Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea during President Buhari’s administration, having been first appointed in 2016.

Ambassador Ayodele Oke, an alumnus of Emory University in Atlanta, is a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and previously served as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.

Retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are was Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) from 1999 to 2007, served as National Security Adviser in 2010, and was an officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence. He graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980.

See profiles of the nominees below:

Lateef Kayode Are, Ambassador-designate.

Year of Birth: 1955
Status: Retired Nigerian Army Colonel & Former Director General, State Security Service

Education:
– Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy
University of Lagos, Nigeria – 1987

– B.Sc. (First Class Honours) Psychology
University of Ibadan, Nigeria – 1980
(Best graduating student: University Senate Prize, Faculty of Social Sciences Prize, Department of Psychology Prize)

– Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Regular Combatant Course 12
Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Nigerian Army – December 1974
(Among top 10 cadets)

Military Career:

– Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Nigerian Army – 1974
– Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Military Intelligence
– Promoted to Colonel
– Compulsory retirement from Nigerian Army – 1993

Senior National Security Appointments:

Director General, State Security Service (SSS) May 1999 – August 2007
(Longest-serving DG SSS in Nigerian history; served under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua)

Deputy National Security Adviser, Federal Republic of Nigeria
April 2010 – c. 2010/2011

Acting National Security Adviser
18 September 2010 – 4 October 2010
(Interim appointment following resignation of Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau)

Professional Profile Summary:

Retired intelligence and national security expert with over 33 years of combined military and civilian intelligence service, including eight consecutive years as head of Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency.

Amin Muhammad Dalhatu, Ambassador-Designate.

State of Origin: Jigawa State
Status: Career Diplomat & Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Professional Summary:

Seasoned Nigerian diplomat with extensive experience in international relations and bilateral diplomacy. Served as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (South Korea), fostering economic, cultural, and political ties between Nigeria and host nations.

Key Appointments

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Embassy of Nigeria, Seoul
c. 2017 – c. 2023

– Presented Letters of Credence in September 2017 under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

– Oversaw diplomatic operations, consular services, and promotion of Nigeria-Korea relations, including trade, investment, and cultural exchanges.

– Hosted high-profile dignitaries, such as Reverend Mother Esther Abimbola Ajayi in 2019, highlighting Nigeria’s global cultural outreach.

Earlier Diplomatic Career

– Career diplomat in the Nigerian Foreign Service, with prior postings and roles in international diplomacy (specific details not publicly detailed).

– Contributed to Nigeria’s foreign policy implementation across various capacities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– Advanced diplomatic training and qualifications through the Nigerian Foreign Service (details not publicly available).

Ayodele Oke, Ambassador-designate.

State of Origin: Oyo State
Status: Retired Career Diplomat & Former Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA)

Professional Summary:

Distinguished career diplomat with over three decades of service in Nigeria’s foreign affairs and intelligence sectors. Expertise in international relations, multilateral diplomacy, and national security. Served as Nigeria’s top intelligence chief from 2013 to 2017, overseeing covert operations and foreign intelligence. Cleared of all allegations in 2023 following a six-year legal process.

Key Appointments

Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Federal Republic of Nigeria
November 2013 – October 2017

– Appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan; oversaw Nigeria’s external intelligence operations, including counter-terrorism and strategic intelligence gathering.

– Suspended in April 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari pending investigation into recovered funds at a Lagos apartment (described as an operational safe house); fully dismissed in October 2017.

– Legal case terminated in June 2023 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with no wrongdoing found; court proceedings withdrawn.

Ambassador to the Commonwealth Secretariat London, United Kingdom
c. 2005 – c. 2009.

– Represented Nigeria in multilateral engagements with the Commonwealth of Nations, advancing diplomatic, economic, and governance initiatives.

– Contributed to high-level policy dialogues and bilateral relations within the 56-member organization.

Director (Regions), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Headquarters, Abuja

– Managed regional intelligence coordination and operations across Africa and beyond.

Earlier Diplomatic Career

– Joined the Nigerian Foreign Service as a career diplomat (entry date not publicly available).

– Served in various diplomatic postings and roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on international relations and consular affairs (specific details not extensively documented in public sources).

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