Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuff Maitama Tuggar, has been named as winner of The Street Journal’s Super Ministers of the Year’
According to the organisers, Tuggar’s imprints in the foreign ministry are indelible. “He has redefined the country’s foreign policy through the 4D doctrine of Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography, thereby translating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy vision into bold global action. The result has been a record of impactful achievements across diplomacy, investment, cultural relations, and citizen welfare.
“His leadership has repositioned Nigeria globally, with a strategy anchored on pragmatic diplomacy, strong partnerships, and human-centred engagement. The successful campaigns for AU leadership roles and Nigeria’s inclusion as a BRICS partner member further illustrate his deliberate strategy to position Nigeria at the core of global decision-making.But most importantly is his stance on the deportation of criminals from the United States to Nigeria. He firmly ruled out the possibility of Nigeria accepting Venezuelan deportees or any prisoners from the United States.
The organisers further noted that Tuggar has been vocal on his criticism of US visa limits on Nigerians as unfair, insisting Nigeria should not carry the burden of deportees from unrelated regions.
Also, he has continually stressed Nigeria’s focus on building fair trade ties with the US instead of yielding to demands that could worsen domestic social pressures. Tuggar’s tenure has been marked by a robust drive for economic diplomacy.
It added that through bilateral and multilateral engagements, Nigeria has secured substantial foreign investments, including $14 billion from Indian investors, €250 million from the Netherlands, and $2.5 billion from Brazil’s JBS for industrial expansion.
These partnerships have opened new corridors in trade, manufacturing, and agro-industrial development.
“A defining highlight of his leadership was the hosting of the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES 2025) in Abuja. The summit united heads of state, CEOs, investors, and innovators under the theme “Unlocking Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Region.”
“It delivered practical results, including cross-border trade pacts and investment commitments that align with Nigeria’s economic integration agenda.
“Under Tuggar, Nigeria’s diplomacy has also become people-centred. His ministry has coordinated humanitarian evacuations, secured scholarships for Nigerian youths, and facilitated the repatriation of stranded citizens.The Nigerians in Diaspora Database, which now boasts over 11,000 registrants, is helping deepen diaspora participation in national development.
Tuggar was a joint winner with minister for Interior; Olubumni Ojo, Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment; Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; Abubakar Kyari, and Minister for Education; Dr Morufu Olatunji Alausa.
