Nepotism hollowed out Nigeria's foreign service and weakened its diplomatic power

    Dr. Richard Ikiebe | YSOT | Jan 26, 2026    
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In the last quarter of 2025, Nigeria faced credible threats of American intervention over allegations of Christian persecution.  The Federal Government reached for its diplomatic arsenal and found the storeroom empty, exposing Nigeria’s acute diplomatic capacity crunch. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, once home to titans like Joe Garba, Bolaji Akinyemi, Joy Ogwu, Ike Nwachukwu and Joe Keshi could not field a credible team.

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