BREAKING:

Trump Administration Recalls U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, 29 Other Career Diplomats

December 22, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke

The administration of Donald Trump has recalled the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr., alongside 29 other career diplomats serving as ambassadors and senior mission chiefs across the world.

Mills, who was appointed on July 25, 2024, is among those whose tenures have been cut short as Washington undertakes a broad realignment of its diplomatic corps.

According to Blueprint.ng, the move affects diplomatic missions in 13 African countries and is part of efforts by the United States to reshape its foreign service with personnel deemed fully aligned with Trump’s “America First” policy agenda.

The Associated Press reported that chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were notified last week that their postings would end in January.

The development was confirmed by two United States Department of State officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of internal personnel decisions.

Reports further indicate that the affected diplomats were appointed during the administration of former President Joe Biden but had initially survived an early wave of changes in the first months of Trump’s second term, which largely targeted political appointees.