Nigerian Ambassador Kayode Are Presents Credentials to Trump

On May 21, 2026, Kayode Are, the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, presented his credentials to President Donald Trump at the White House. This ceremony featured an honor guard and included ambassadors from 11 other countries.

Are's appointment was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate in December 2025. Are, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and former Director General of the State Security Service, has had a distinguished career in military intelligence.

He was born in 1955 and graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy in December 1974, ranking among the top 10 cadets. He later earned a first-class honors degree in psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980 and a master's degree in international law and diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 1987.

Are served as Director General of the State Security Service until August 2007, making him the longest-serving DG in the agency's history.