The Life and Career of Ambassador-Designate Lateef Kayode Are

In a development tracked exclusively by Very Nigerian, Lateef Kayode Are has been nominated as Ambassador-Designate, one of three names submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Nigerian Senate for confirmation.

Are, a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and former Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), brings decades of military, intelligence, and national security experience to his new diplomatic assignment.

Background and Education

Lateef Kayode Are hails from Owu ancestry and has a distinguished academic record.

He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Ibadan in 1980, winning the University Senate Prize, the Faculty of Social Sciences Prize, and the Department of Psychology Prize for best graduating student.

He later obtained a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 1987, equipping him with a solid foundation for a career in security and diplomacy.

Military Career

Are was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in December 1974 after graduating among the top ten officers of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s Regular Course 12.

He was deployed to the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps and served as an Intelligence Officer in the Directorate of Military Intelligence, rising to the rank of Colonel.

His course mates included notable figures such as General Owoye Andrew Azazi (former Chief of Defence Staff), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (former National Security Adviser), and Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye (former Chief of Naval Staff). Are was compulsorily retired from the Army in 1993 under General Sani Abacha.

Security Appointments

Are’s post-military career has been equally distinguished.

He was appointed Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) by President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 1999, serving under Presidents Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’Adua until his removal in August 2007, making him the longest-serving SSS boss in Nigeria’s history.

In 2010, he was appointed Deputy National Security Adviser by President Goodluck Jonathan and also served as Acting National Security Adviser following the resignation of Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, with whom he had worked during his Army intelligence days.

Are has faced challenges during his career, including a 2015 invasion of his home by operatives of the Lawal Daura-led SSS over a dispute regarding his Ikoyi properties.

Despite these setbacks, he has maintained a reputation for professionalism, integrity, and dedication to national service.

He is married with children.

The nomination of Lateef Kayode Are as Ambassador-Designate by President Tinubu exclusively confirms his wealth of experience in security, intelligence, and governance, and positions him to shine and represent Nigeria on the global diplomatic stage.

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