Mexico Clears Reno Omokri as Nigeria’s Ambassador After Eight-Month Wait

Mexico Clears Reno Omokri as Nigeria’s Ambassador After Eight-Month Wait

 

The Mexican government has granted diplomatic approval for Reno Omokri’s appointment as Nigeria’s ambassador to Mexico, ending an eight-month wait for the confirmation of his posting by the host country.

Omokri disclosed this in a post on his X account on Tuesday, saying José Manuel Briseño Flores, chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of Mexico in Abuja, had delivered the diplomatic approval, known as agrément, to Babagana Wakil, Director of Protocol at Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The approval covers Omokri’s appointment as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Mexico, with concurrent accreditation to Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

“ To God be the glory, the Chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the United Mexican States in Abuja, Mr José Manuel Briseño Flores, today in Abuja delivered the agrément from the Government of the United Mexican States accepting me,” Omokri said.

 

The development clears a major hurdle in the process of deploying the former presidential aide and political commentator to his diplomatic assignment, following months of uncertainty over the status of his appointment.

 

President Bola Tinubu had in March approved the posting of 65 ambassador-designates and high commissioners to various countries as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic representation abroad.

 

Omokri was among those named for ambassadorial postings, with Mexico designated as his principal country of assignment.

 

However, his deployment could not be concluded immediately because Mexico had yet to formally accept his nomination, a necessary step in the diplomatic appointment process.

 

Under established diplomatic practice, a government seeking to appoint an ambassador must obtain the receiving country’s agrément before the nominee can be formally deployed. The procedure allows the host country to indicate its acceptance of the proposed envoy.

 

In August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that Mexico and Japan were among the countries that had yet to communicate formal acceptance of two outstanding ambassadorial appointments.

 

The ministry said it was engaging the relevant authorities in the affected countries and expressed confidence that the outstanding approvals would be secured in due course.

 

Mexico’s decision now resolves the uncertainty surrounding Omokri’s posting, although the completion of any remaining formalities and the commencement of his diplomatic duties may still depend on the applicable procedures.

 

Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, is known for his political commentary and frequent interventions in Nigeria’s public discourse. His appointment forms part of the Tinubu administration’s wider effort to fill key diplomatic positions and strengthen the country’s engagement with foreign governments.

With the approval secured, attention will now turn to the completion of the remaining diplomatic formalities and his eventual assumption of duty in Mexico.