Nigeria’s Ambassador To France, Kayode Laro Is Dead

The Nigerian Ambassador to France, Mr Kayode Laro is dead.

Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, announced the ambassador’s death in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

He described the death of Laro as shocking and devastating, praying to Allah to forgive him and grant him al-Jannah Firdaus.

Ambassador Kayode Laro was born in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria on November 30, 1959.

He possessed a B.A degree in Geography from Ahmadu Bello University (1980) and a Masters’ degree in Economic Development and Planning from the United Nations Institute for Economic Development, Dakar, Senegal (1997).

His training at IDEP gave him an insight into the developmental challenges of African countries and how these challenges can be addressed.

During his career in the Nigerian Foreign Service spanning 35 years from December 1983 – December 2018, Laro served in various capacities at home and abroad giving him great exposure to global affairs.

He acquired skills in multilateral diplomacy through deployments to the Nigerian missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva. These deployments enhanced his skills as a negotiator and gave him insights into how diplomacy can be used to promote peace, security and development across the world.

Laro was a Fellow of the Defence College, having attended Course 17 (2008/2009) at the highest tri-service military training institution in Nigeria, the National Defence College Nigeria.

Laro’s interests included golf, chess, environmental issues, development, security and global affairs.

After retirement from the Foreign Service, Laro joined an Abuja-based think-tank Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development as a Senior Analyst.

Laro was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as an Ambassador in July 2020 and assigned to France. He arrived in France on May 15, 2021 to assume duty as the Nigerian Ambassador to France, with concurrent accreditation to Monaco.

As the Ambassador to France, his main role was to represent Nigeria’s interests in France and maintain diplomatic relations between the two countries. He was responsible for promoting trade, investment, and cultural exchange between Nigeria and France.