Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Kayode Are, has presented his Letter of Credence to US President Donald Trump.
The ceremony took place on Thursday, May 21, at the White House, with an honour guard provided by the armed forces, officers of the State Department, and staff of the National Security Council. Eleven other ambassadors, including those from South Africa, Chad, Chile, Yemen, Australia, and Kyrgyzstan, also presented their credentials to the US President.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier approved Are’s posting in January 2026, following his Senate-confirmed nomination in December 2025.
Military and Academic Background
Born in 1955, Kayode Are is a retired Nigerian Army Colonel, intelligence officer, and former Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), now known as the Department of State Services (DSS).
He began his military career at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as part of Regular Combatant Course 12, graduating among the top 10 cadets before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December 1974.
Academically, Are distinguished himself early, earning a First Class Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980, where he graduated as the best student and received multiple prizes, including the University Senate Prize. He later obtained a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 1987.
During his military career, he served in the Directorate of Military Intelligence and rose to the rank of Colonel before his compulsory retirement in 1993.
Career in Security and Intelligence
Following Nigeria’s return to democracy, Are was appointed Director General of the State Security Service in May 1999. He served until August 2007, making him the longest-serving DG in the agency’s history, working under Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He later served as Deputy National Security Adviser to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, contributing significantly to national security coordination and intelligence management.
Widely respected as one of Nigeria’s most experienced security operatives, Kayode Are brings over 33 years of combined military and civilian intelligence expertise to his new diplomatic role.
