17.4.2026
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned Nigerians not to use the title of “Ambassador” unless they have been appointed by the President to represent the nation in a foreign country.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, there are increasing number of Nigerians parading themselves as ambassadors official backing.
“The Ministry has been receiving inquiries from diplomatic missions asking us to verify the status of Nigerians parading themselves as ambassadors,” he said
Ebienfa explained that while some institutions appoint individuals as brand ambassadors for promotional purposes, many recipients go beyond that role by adopting the title as a formal prefix, thereby misleading the public and officials alike.
“All these categories of persons, more often than not, add the prefix ‘Ambassador’ to their names, and that is causing serious confusion.
“Brand ambassadors have no legal right to add the title ‘Ambassador’ to their names. That designation is not recognised by our laws in that context.
He explained that recently a group offered ambassadorial appointments to Nigerians in exchange for a fee running into millions of naira, with promises of diplomatic privileges including special visa considerations, access to international events, and airport protocol services.
“The package includes an appointment letter, diplomatic passport, vehicle number plates and identity card. This is completely false and misleading,” Ebienfa said, adding that the group falsely claimed affiliation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is only the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has the prerogative to appoint and accredit ambassadors,” he stated.