By William Emily l Date: May 7, 2026
Former Nigerian Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has confirmed that President Bola Tinubu approved his redeployment from Germany to South Africa as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate following a personal request for reassignment.
Fani-Kayode disclosed the development on Thursday through a statement posted on his social media platforms, explaining that he had initially been posted to Germany but later requested a transfer to South Africa for personal and diplomatic reasons.
According to the former minister, he formally contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly after the ambassadorial postings were announced, expressing discomfort with the Germany assignment and seeking redeployment to South Africa instead.
Fani-Kayode explained that he preferred South Africa because he had spent much of his life in Europe and wished to serve in a country he had never previously visited. He also said South Africa’s status as Africa’s largest economy and its closer political and diplomatic ties with Nigeria made the posting more appealing to him.
In his statement, Fani-Kayode said he believed South Africa shared many of his views regarding African unity, foreign policy, and Pan-African cooperation. He added that the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, considered his request favorably before forwarding it to President Tinubu for approval.
The diplomatic adjustment reportedly involved a direct swap arrangement with Senator Ita Enang, who had initially been assigned to South Africa but later agreed to proceed to Germany instead. Fani-Kayode publicly thanked Enang for agreeing to the exchange.
The former minister also strongly denied widespread reports claiming that Germany rejected his nomination because of controversial political comments and previous public statements. He described such reports as “false,” “malicious,” and intended to embarrass both him and the Nigerian government.
Reports had earlier circulated in several media outlets alleging that German authorities were uncomfortable with Fani-Kayode’s appointment due to past controversial remarks on ethnic, religious, and political issues. However, Fani-Kayode insisted no official rejection was ever communicated by the German government.
He further revealed that he had instructed his legal team to pursue legal action against media organizations responsible for publishing the alleged rejection reports. According to him, the publications damaged his reputation and spread misinformation about Nigeria’s diplomatic process.
Fani-Kayode served as Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and has remained a prominent political figure in Nigeria for years. In late 2025, President Tinubu appointed him among more than 60 ambassadorial nominees approved for diplomatic assignments abroad.
The redeployment comes at a sensitive period in Nigeria-South Africa relations, which have experienced periodic diplomatic tensions over xenophobic attacks against Nigerians living in South Africa and broader migration-related disputes. Analysts believe Fani-Kayode’s appointment could play a significant role in strengthening diplomatic engagement between both African nations.