Following the recent successful screening of ambassadors-designate, comprising 64 career and non-career ambassadors recently by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, the stage is now set for President Bola Tinubu to post them to their various countries of assignments.
One indisputable fact is that at this stage of Nigeria’s history is that the country cannot play second fiddle in the international arena.
Rather, promoting the country’s national interest- trade and investment, cultural, political and defence should top the agenda.
One career diplomat who is acquainted with this is Ambassador-designate Hamza Mohammed. Sallau is not just one of the newly announced ambassadorial nominees representing Niger State, but he is a man whose character speaks louder than titles.
From Chanchaga Local Government Area of Niger State, Salau has built many years of an outstanding professional career in the Nigerian Foreign Service.
Before his recent nomination by President Tinubu, he had been actively serving Nigeria in Qatar, quietly representing the country with professionalism and dignity.
Beyond his impressive career, I can never forget what he said to me during one of my interactions with him, which left a lasting impression on me.
He once said, “Emmanuel, always do the right thing. It does not matter if every other person is not doing it.” That single statement captures the kind of man he is: principled, disciplined, and guided by integrity.
Sadly, many people in public office today treat fellow citizens poorly, forgetting the responsibilities that come with leadership. That is not the case with Mr. Hamza.
His humility, respect for people, and sense of service distinguish him in a system where such qualities are often rare. I am among those Nigerians who do not particularly admire the way Nigerian politics is played. The reality of governance today does not make it easy to remain optimistic.
However, seeing Mr. Sallau’s name on the list of career ambassadorial nominees gives me renewed hope that all is not lost. For Nigerians in the diaspora, we know that having the right people serve as our ambassadors is crucial. Ambassadors are the first point of contact, the image, and the voice of the nation abroad.
Appointing career professionals with proven integrity, like Sallau, is a meaningful step toward restoring Nigeria’s international image. To me, Sallau is more than an ambassadorial nominee.
He is evidence that integrity, professionalism, and service still matter and that Nigeria can still be represented by the right people.
His impact on my life and on the lives of many members of the Nigerian community in the diaspora is a story for another day. Just have your pen and paper ready.
To put it differently, President Bola Tinubu foreign policy focus rests on four pillars, referred to as the 4-Ds, namely Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora.
The core focus areas and strategies – Economic Diplomacy, aimed at rebranding Nigeria as a prime investment destination, Regional Leadership (ECOWAS), in the form of actively addressing political crises in neighboring countries like Niger and promoting peace in the subregion.
Others are Global Partnerships – strengthening ties with the US, EU, China, and the Middle East for mutual economic benefits, realist Approach:
Utilizing foreign relations to maximize national interests, including leveraging spaces in the Sahel and Social Policy Linkage:
Repurposing foreign partnerships to fund local human capital development, such as health and education initiatives.
One can only wish him all the best and hope he will continue to represent and serve the country and its diaspora community in the right way, in any country you find yourself.
To the other career nominees who have faithfully served Nigeria in the diaspora, I pray they all have the strength to continue on the right path.
