Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Lateef Kayode Kolawole Are, has formally presented his Letter of Credence to President Donald Trump at the White House, officially commencing his duties as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the United States.
The ceremony took place on Thursday, 21st May, and featured a guard of honour mounted by members of the US Armed Forces, alongside officials of the State Department and staff of the National Security Council. Are was among 12 envoys received by President Trump during the diplomatic event, with other ambassadors presenting credentials from South Africa, Chad, Chile, Yemen, Australia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Lateef, whose posting was approved by President Bola Tinubu in January 2026, built a career spanning more than three decades in military intelligence and national security administration. He served in the Directorate of Military Intelligence, rising to the rank of Colonel before his retirement from the Nigerian Army in 1993. Following Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, he was appointed Director-General of the State Security Service — a position he held until August 2007, making him the longest-serving DG in the agency’s history, serving under former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He also served as Deputy National Security Adviser, contributing to national security coordination and intelligence management at the highest levels of government.
President Tinubu announced the new ambassadors in December 2025 and approved their posting in March, two years after he recalled the previous ambassadors without giving a specific reason. The Senate confirmed a total of 64 ambassadorial nominees in December 2025, comprising 34 career diplomats and 30 non-career appointees.
The appointment has drawn wide commendation. Civil society groups coordinated under the Civil Society Organisations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative (CSCHEI) described the posting as a strategic move, noting that a diplomat with extensive experience in security, intelligence, and international relations would deepen cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. The group’s development partner, Africa United Congress USA, affirmed that Are’s professional record, diplomatic experience, and reputation for integrity position him to effectively advance Nigeria’s interests in Washington, and that his official resumption signals renewed prospects for development-driven diplomacy and stronger institutional collaboration between both countries.
Ambassador Lateef arrived in Washington at a particularly consequential moment in US–Nigeria relations. Earlier this year, the two governments established a joint working group, with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu leading the Nigerian delegation, focused on reducing violence against vulnerable communities and creating conditions for Nigerians to freely practice their faith. In April 2025, President Tinubu met Trump’s Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, in Paris to discuss deepening strategic cooperation centred on economic partnership, energy and infrastructure development, and regional security. Boulos conveyed Trump’s stated interest in deepening direct engagement with Nigeria, describing the country as a cornerstone of America’s relationship with Africa.
Are arrives bearing the weight of that momentum, and the expectation that Nigeria’s voice in Washington will now be louder, and more experienced, than before.
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