Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Algeria, Mohammed Lele, is dead.
The newly appointed diplomat died in Turkiye last Saturday morning from an illness he had long battled with, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said that Mr Lele served as Director in charge of the Middle East and Gulf Division before his ambassadorial appointment.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that President Bola Tinubu approved the posting of Mr Lele alongside 64 other diplomats last month.
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The president approved the posting of 31 career diplomats and 34 non-career diplomats two years after he recalled the previous ambassadors, which included 41 non-career and 42 career diplomats, in September 2023, without giving a specific reason.
During this period, the country operated without top representatives abroad, relying only on the former foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, and the chargé d’affaires at its embassies.
However, Mr Lele, a career diplomat, was yet to resume at his posting before his death.
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The ministry also noted that Mr Lele was buried today (Wednesday) in Kano “in accordance with Islamic rites.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces, with deep sorrow and a profound sense of loss, the passing of Ambassador Mohammed Mahmud Lele, which occurred in the early hours of 19th April 2026 in Ankara, Türkiye.
“The late Ambassador Lele, until his death after a protracted illness, was the Director in charge of the Middle East and Gulf Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Ambassador Lele, a Career Diplomat, was recently appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as Ambassador-Designate to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, following the Nigerian Senate’s confirmation of his nomination,” the Ministry’s statement read in part.
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Born in 1976 in Bauchi State, the late diplomat studied Economics at Bayero University, Kano, before joining the Nigerian Foreign Service in 2001.
Over the course of his career, Mr Lele served in several Nigerian missions abroad, including Germany, Togo, and Saudi Arabia.
The ministry described him as “a dedicated, meticulous, and exemplary diplomat” who contributed significantly to Nigeria’s foreign policy through his “intellectual depth, strategic insight, and steadfast commitment.”
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dunoma Ahmed, who received the diplomat’s remains at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, described him as “a hardworking, humble and fine officer” whose death is a significant loss to the country’s foreign service.
The ministry extended condolences to his family, friends and associates.
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