Source: US Embassy / Wikipedia (as cited on the original page)
Resources
Diplomatic Relations & Ambassador History
One consolidated page merging the Council's two ambassador-history pages, presented as two clearly separated records — not a single undifferentiated timeline.
Subsection 1
Nigerian Ambassadors to the United States
Preserved from the Council's original page, including the embassy's opening in October 1960.
H.E. Amb. (Mrs.) Uzoma E. Emenike (Ph.D)
Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States
H.E. Amb. (Mrs.) Uzoma E. Emenike (Ph.D)
Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States
- Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
- Email:info@example.com
Date
Name / Mission
1 Oct 1960
Embassy opened
1 Oct 1960
M. J. Garba, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
15 Dec 1960
Julius Momo Udochi, appointed
18 Oct 1965
N. Ade Martins, appointed
28 Feb 1968
Joe Iyalla, appointed
30 Apr 1972
Mr. E. O. Kolade, Chargé d'Affaires a.i.
10 Aug 1972
John Mamman Garba, appointed
30 Oct 1975
Edward Olusola Sanu, appointed
11 Aug 1977
Olujimi Jolaoso, appointed
10 Jun 1981
Mr. M. T. Gbashah, Minister-Counselor, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
30 Jun 1981
Chief Abudu Yesufu Eke, appointed
13 Aug 1984
Ignatius Chukuemeka Olisemeka, appointed
22 May 1987
Alhaji Hamzat Ahmadu, appointed
30 May 1991
Alhaji Zubair Mahmud Kazaure, appointed
26 Jul 1996
Alhaji Hassan Adamu, appointed
29 Nov 1999
Jibril Muhammed Aminu, appointed
27 May 2004
Prof. George A. Obiozor, appointed
9 Mar 2006
Aminata Djibrilla Maiga Toure, appointed
4 Apr 2008
Gen. (Rtd) Oluwole Rotimi, appointed
26 Mar 2010
Prof. Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, appointed
13 Nov 2017
Justice Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor, appointed
18 May 2021
Dr. (Mrs.) Uzoma Emenike, appointed
Source: Office of the Chief of Protocol, US Department of State (as cited on the original page)
Subsection 2
United States Ambassadors to Nigeria
The U.S. Embassy was transferred from Lagos to Abuja on September 15, 2000.
David Greene
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, U.S. Embassy Abuja
David Greene, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, joined the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria as Deputy Chief of Mission in August 2022. As of March 31, 2023, Mr. Greene is the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim for the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
David Greene
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, U.S. Embassy Abuja
- Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
- Email:info@example.com
Ambassador
Appointment
End of term
Notes
Joseph Palmer II
Sept. 23, 1960
Left post Jan. 16, 1964
Career FSO. The Embassy in Lagos was established October 1, 1960, with Ambassador Palmer in charge pending presentation of his letter of credence. Reaccredited when Nigeria became a republic; presented new credentials December 12, 1963.
Elbert G. Mathews
March 10, 1964
July 26, 1969
Career FSO
William C. Trueheart
September 19, 1969
September 1, 1971
Career FSO
John Reinhardt
September 30, 1971
February 23, 1975
Donald B. Easum
March 26, 1975
October 15, 1979
Career FSO
Stephen Low
September 20, 1979
July 4, 1981
Career FSO
Thomas R. Pickering
October 26, 1981
July 9, 1983
Career FSO
Thomas W. M. Smith
February 10, 1984
May 5, 1986
Career FSO
Princeton Nathan Lyman
September 12, 1986
July 24, 1989
Career FSO
Lannon Walker
October 10, 1989
July 10, 1992
Career FSO
William Lacy Swing
June 15, 1992
September 22, 1993
Career FSO
Walter C. Carrington
August 10, 1993
October 7, 1997
William H. Twaddell
November 10, 1997
August 3, 2000
Career FSO
Howard Franklin Jeter
December 28, 2000
July 30, 2003
Career FSO
Donald K. Steinberg
_
_
Career FSO (dates not recorded on original page — flagged for verification)
John Campbell
May 12, 2004
July 19, 2007
Career FSO
Robin Renee Sanders
2008
2010
Career FSO
Terence P. McCulley
September 28, 2010
Career FSO
James F. Entwistle
May 23, 2013
July 21, 2016
Career FSO
W. Stuart Symington
October 3, 2016
August 30, 2019
Career FSO
Mary Beth Leonard
September 11, 2019
March 31, 2023
Career FSO
David Greene
March 31, 2023
Incumbent (as recorded April 2024)
Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
Notes on U.S. diplomatic terms (preserved)
- Career FSO: after 1915, the United States Department of State began classifying ambassadors as career Foreign Service Officers for those who have served in the Foreign Service for a specified amount of time.
- Political appointee: a person who is not a career Foreign Service Officer, but is appointed by the president.
- Appointed:the date the ambassador took the oath of office (“commissioning”), following Senate confirmation or a congressional-recess appointment.
- Presented credentials: the date the ambassador presented the letter of credence to the head of state of the receiving nation.
- Terminated mission: usually the date the ambassador left the country.
- Chargé d’affaires / ad interim:the person in charge of the business of the embassy when no ambassador is commissioned — “for the time being”.
