The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has advised trainees at the Foreign Service Academy (FSA) to be culturally sensitive in diplomacy, as it is crucial to their professional success.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu gave this counsel during the inauguration of 174 trainees of the 26th regular course of the FSA, which runs from March to October 2025 at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) in Abuja.
The Academy, initially established as the Foreign Service Institute through a Cabinet Memorandum in 2006, was set up to enhance the Ministry’s human and institutional capacities in policy research, analysis, and monitoring the efficacy of Nigeria’s foreign policy. It was later transformed into an Academy in 2017 to provide targeted training and better respond to the evolving diplomatic landscape.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu underscored the importance of cultural awareness in international relations.
“Every country has its own nuances, culture, and conventions. These may not always be explicitly stated, but they are critical to diplomacy.
“It is vital that this batch of trainees prioritise cultural sensitivity.
“This should be one of the first things they focus on when they arrive in their countries of posting,” she advised.
She encouraged the trainees to take full advantage of the Academy’s specialised training, which would equip them with the skills needed to excel as diplomats while adhering to international best practices.
According to her, the training will enable them to serve Nigeria not just with passion, but with professionalism.
The event featured remarks from key officials, including Dr Dunoma Ahmed, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mrs Fatima Mahmod, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office (representing the Head of Service); Ambassador Musa Abubakar, Director of Training at the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA) (representing the Director-General of the agency); and Dr Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo, Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of PSIN.
