Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Kayode Are, has formally presented his Letter of Credence to US President Donald Trump in a ceremony at the White House.
Are was among 12 envoys who presented credentials on Thursday 21 May, including ambassadors from South Africa, Chad, Chile, Yemen, Australia and Kyrgyzstan.
The ceremony featured an honour guard and officials from the US State Department and National Security Council.
Are’s posting was approved by President Bola Tinubu in January 2026, after the Senate confirmed his nomination in December 2025.
The 70-year-old is a retired army colonel and career intelligence officer.
He served as Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), now the Department of State Services (DSS), from May 1999 to August 2007, making him the agency’s longest-serving head.
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Are, who also worked as Deputy National Security Adviser, began his military career at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), graduating in 1974 as a second lieutenant.
He later earned a first-class degree in psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980 and a master’s in international law and diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 1987.
Over more than three decades in military intelligence and national security, he served under former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
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