Trump recalls US Ambassador to Nigeria in major diplomatic shake-up

United States President Donald Trump has recalled Richard Mills, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, as part of a wide-ranging diplomatic shake-up affecting more than two dozen American missions across the world, with Africa emerging as the most affected continent.

Nigeria is among 15 African countries impacted by the recall. Others include Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia and Uganda.

Outside Africa, the shake-up also affected countries in the Asia-Pacific, including Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vietnam. In Europe, the affected nations are Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovakia, while Guatemala and Suriname were affected in the Western Hemisphere.

Officials of the US State Department told The Guardian (UK) that the affected chiefs of mission were notified last week that their tenures would formally end in January.

Although many of the diplomats initially survived an early purge during the first months of President Trump’s second term—largely targeted at political appointees—the situation changed on Wednesday when formal notices of their imminent departures were issued from Washington, DC.

According to Politico, the recalls are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to realign US diplomatic representation abroad with the President’s “America First” foreign policy agenda.

A State Department official confirmed that the affected ambassadors were appointed during the administration of former President Joe Biden and would now conclude their assignments as chiefs of mission in January.

Ambassadors typically serve terms of three to four years. While their ambassadorial roles will end, the officials clarified that the diplomats are not being dismissed from the foreign service and may return to Washington for other postings if they so choose.

Mills, who was confirmed as US Ambassador to Nigeria in May, is being recalled at a time of strained US–Nigeria relations, particularly over visa policies and security concerns.

However, his departure also comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between both countries. Recently, Mills met with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to discuss bilateral cooperation, following remarks by US Congressman Riley Moore that Washington and Abuja were close to finalising a strategic security framework to address terrorism and regional instability in Nigeria.