Activist warns that Nigeria’s image was now “bleeding on the altar of incompetence” Calls for dismissal of Foreign Minister

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - A Nigerian activist and pharmacist, Elder Karofi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to sack the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, accusing him of presiding over what he described as the “steady collapse” of Nigeria’s foreign policy and the erosion of the nation’s credibility abroad.

In a strongly worded open letter dated October 7, 2025, Mr Karofi said the the Tinubu administration’s global reputation was being undermined by “diplomatic inertia, weak leadership, and failure to defend Nigeria’s image” under Tuggar’s stewardship.

“Our voice on the international stage is growing weaker, our image is being maligned, and our interests abroad are being neglected,” Mr Karofi wrote.

“At the heart of this decline lies the failure of the current Minister of Foreign Affairs to perform his duties effectively.”

Mr Karofi accused the minister of turning a blind eye to growing international propaganda branding Nigeria as a country persecuting Christians or advancing a “genocide agenda.”

He said the minister’s “dangerous silence” had emboldened foreign actors to smear Nigeria’s image unchecked.

“These allegations are false, toxic, and capable of scaring away investors and fueling internal divisions,” he said.

“Yet, the Honourable Minister has failed to counter them decisively or highlight the reality that both Christians and Muslims are victims of insecurity in Nigeria — with Muslims even forming the majority of those killed by Boko Haram and bandits.”

He said Mr Tuggar’s weak public diplomacy amounted to “gross negligence,” warning that Nigeria’s image was now “bleeding on the altar of incompetence.”

‘A Ministry Trapped in Inertia’

The activist accused Tuggar of presiding over “a hollow foreign service system” characterized by underfunded embassies, demoralized staff, and lack of strategic direction.

Mr Karofi painted a picture of a ministry trapped in bureaucratic lethargy and disconnected from Nigeria’s pressing security and economic realities.

The activist listed a string of failures he attributed to Mr Tuggar’s tenure including ineffective embassies leaving citizens abroad stranded and unprotected, inability to secure foreign partnerships for national security and counterterrorism.

Poor communication that allows the world to misread Nigeria’s democratic trajectory, weak coordination among ministries, slowing down key foreign policy initiatives, and loss of leadership influence within ECOWAS amid regional instability.

“At a time when our nation urgently needs bold, articulate, and proactive diplomacy, the Minister’s passivity and lack of innovation are glaring and unacceptable,” he stated.

Mr Karofi said the Foreign Affairs portfolio was “too critical to be left in the hands of mediocrity,” warning that the country’s external image and economic prospects were at risk.

“Foreign affairs is the face of Nigeria to the world,” he wrote. “If left in the wrong hands, it endangers not only our reputation but also our growth, our partnerships, and the welfare of millions of Nigerians abroad.”

He urged the President to “act decisively in defense of national interest” by removing Mr Tuggar immediately and replacing him with “a competent, energetic, and visionary diplomat who can restore Nigeria’s global influence.”

‘Time to Make a Change’

“I therefore respectfully but firmly call for the immediate removal of Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar as Minister of Foreign Affairs,” Mr Karofi declared.

“Nigeria deserves a foreign minister who will defend our dignity, secure our global standing, and advance our interests without compromise.”

Mr Karofi, a social activist based in Bauchi, said his intervention was driven by patriotism and concern that Nigeria’s foreign image was “sinking fast under a minister who seems asleep at the wheel.”