Minister Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, Tuesday in Abuja presented letters of authority to 10 Consuls-General and Honorary Consuls posted to Nigeria.

The envoys included Consuls-General from South Sudan, Spain, Slovakia and Saudi Arabia, while three Nigerians would serve as Honorary-Consuls for Liberia, Finland and Djibouti.

Receiving the envoys' letters of commission, Ashiru urged them to promote bilateral relations between their countries and Nigeria.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, United Nations' Women Representatives for Nigeria, IFAD, and UNFPA were among the 10 envoys.

Ashiru who told the envoys that with their letter of authority, they could officially begin their functions, urged them to promote people-to-people movement through a more simplified visa process.

Similarly, he tasked the UN representatives to ensure continued partnership with relevant agencies on developmental programmes, describing IFAD and UNFPA as Nigeria's strategic partners.

Honorary-Consul of Liberia, Mrs. Opral Benson, who told journalists that both countries have had long standing relations, stressed the need for people-to people contacts to further boost bilateral ties, saying both countries had a lot to gain from each other in view of the strong diplomatic ties

Benson, who has a dual citizenship of Liberia and Nigeria, said although she is a Liberian by birth, Nigeria has been her home in the last 50 years, adding that she considered the letter of authority as an honour.