Nigeria's Ambassador to the United States, Sylvanus Adiewere Nsofor died on Thursday night aged 85.

President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesperson Garba Shehu confirmed the demise on Friday, saying the West African country's leader had held a telephone conversation with Nsofor's widow.

"President Buhari, who has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with Justice Nsofor's family on the burial arrangements," said Shehu.

Nsofor was a retired justice of Nigeria's Court of Appeal. He assumed office as Nigeria's ambassador to the U.S. on 13 November 2017.

His demise came as he was winding up his service in New York.