JUST IN: Trump Recalls US Ambassador to Nigeria

President Donald Trump has recalled the United States ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr., alongside 29 other senior diplomats serving in ambassadorial and key embassy roles across the world.

Ambassador Mills, who assumed duty on July 25, 2024, is among 13 ambassadors in African countries affected by the decision. Officials in Washington say the move is part of a broader effort to realign US foreign policy with President Trump’s “America First” agenda.

According to the Associated Press, the diplomats were notified last week that their assignments would end in January 2026. Many of those affected were appointed during the Biden administration and continued in their roles into the early months of Trump’s current term.

“Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the president,” a US official familiar with the matter told AP, noting that ambassadors typically serve between three and four years.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the recalled envoys are not being removed from the Foreign Service. Those who wish to remain in government service are expected to be reassigned to positions in Washington.

The US State Department did not confirm the exact number of diplomats involved but described the recalls as routine. In a statement, the department said ambassadors are personal representatives of the president and that it is his prerogative to ensure US envoys advance his policy priorities abroad.

Africa emerged as the region most affected. Ambassadors were recalled from Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, and Uganda.

Six countries in the Asia-Pacific region were also affected: Fiji, Laos, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In Europe, ambassadors in Armenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovakia were recalled. Algeria and Egypt were affected in the Middle East, while Nepal and Sri Lanka were impacted in South Asia. Guatemala and Suriname were the two countries affected in the Western Hemisphere.

The move represents one of the most extensive diplomatic reassignments under President Trump’s current term, signaling a decisive shift in how the administration intends to manage US representation abroad.