NIGERIAN foreign missions abroad could be facing some limitations with respect to harnessing gains from the students foreign exchange programme and approval limits below $1,000 in the absence of ambassadors, diplomatic analysts have said.
Nigeria could also face backlash in the search for a permanent security seat at the United Nations Assembly with the non-appointment of ambassadors who are professional lobbyists for such high-level diplomatic engagements.
President Bola Tinubu made a case for the United Nations permanent seat at the UN Security Council, a post that requires intense diplomatic lobbying, albeit having foot soldiers in place, such as ambassadors.
Harping on the consequences of not having an ambassadorial appointment, analysts say, Nigeria is low-ranked in the diplomatic circle as a result of not having ambassadors under President Tinubu in most parts of the world.
Since President Tinubu recalled all the Ambassadors on September 2, 2023, Nigerian foreign missions have been without ambassadors.
Diplomatic analysts say Nigeria could lose out on some foreign-interests advantages, such as student exchange programmes, multilateral and bilateral engagements, which in most cases require the presence of an Ambassador and not a charge d’affaires.
Specifically, the role of ambassadors and high commissioners is to market the specific countries where they represent and serve as an official representative of the country in a foreign mission.
“I discussed with a deputy Chinese ambassador, and he expressed worries that Nigeria is lagging on student exchange programmes because of poor follow-up from diplomatic missions and, most importantly, [lack of] an Ambassador,” Mukhtar Imam, a professor of Political Science and International Relations and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Al-Muhibbah University, Abuja, told The ICIR.
“The approval limit of $1000, and non-attendance of high-level diplomatic meetings are limitations to Nigeria not having Ambassadors under President Tinubu. In diplomatic parlance, there are limitations on where charge d’affaires can go and what an ambassador can do,” he added.
He stressed that both career and non-career diplomats have clearly defined roles, noting that “where you don’t have ambassadors in these countries, it means that these functions are halted or completely grounded.”
“It doesn’t speak well of Nigeria with our strategic position in Africa,” he added.
At the highest level of diplomatic engagement, the charge d’affaires has limitations on the functions they can perform.
“Charge d’affaires are administrative heads and have limits to the amount they can approve in consulate administration. In diplomatic parlance, there’s a limit to where a charge d’affaires can speak. In a huge gathering where ambassadors are gathering for an international meeting, he cannot be allowed to speak there,” Imam disclosed further.
The ICIR reports that without ambassadors to lead economic missions and negotiate bilateral agreements, Nigeria may miss out on potential foreign investment opportunities
For instance, Nigeria’s diaspora contributes over $20 billion annually to the economy, but without proper diplomatic representation, this amount could dwindle as follow-up engagement that requires top-notch diplomatic follow-ups could be lacking because of the absence of ambassadors.
More so, Nigeria’s absence from key diplomatic meetings can weakens its influence in multilateral bodies like the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, and the United Nations, diplomatic analysts say.
This reduces the country’s ability to shape decisions that impact its economic interests.
Speaking in a similar vein, Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, said not having an Ambassador for over two years have cost implications on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Tinubu needs an adviser in foreign policy to ensure implementation of bilateral agreements and proper follow-ups to a successful fruition.
“I don’t know who’s in charge of foreign policy at the villa,” he queried.
He stated that the President owes Nigerians an explanation, while also rejecting the notion that the non-appointment was due to a lack of money, even when the government claimed to meet revenue targets before the end of the fiscal year.
He stressed that governments across the globe grade diplomatic relations low for countries that don’t have Ambassadors in their respective countries.
He further said that Nigeria’s intense campaign for a permanent seat at the United Nations may not have the needed breakthrough without ambassadors who need to lobby allied countries for such positions.
The ICIR reports that since September 2, 2023, when envoys of 109 diplomatic missions, comprising 76 embassies, 22 high commissions and 11 consulates, were recalled and ordered to return on or before October 31, Nigeria has not had full diplomatic representation in the rank of ambassadors.
The development comes with the possibility of harming the gains Nigeria is expected to reap from the President’s recent trips to China, France, South Africa, Brazil and the visit of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to Nigeria, informed analysts say.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.