President Bola Tinubu on Monday formally swore in Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the new Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, reinforcing his administration’s efforts to strengthen governance and service delivery in critical sectors.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and was witnessed by the ministers’ spouses, senior government officials and other dignitaries.
Their appointments followed the resignations of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to pursue political ambitions.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu nominated the two ministers after the vacancies emerged, with the Senate subsequently confirming their appointments on May 6, 2026.
Tegbe, an indigene of Ibadan in Oyo State, brings more than three decades of experience in economic management, institutional reforms and stakeholder engagement to the Ministry of Power.
A renowned fiscal and economic strategist, he holds a First Class Degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, as well as Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration from institutions in Switzerland and Birmingham respectively.
Before his appointment, Tegbe served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he led major transformation initiatives and advised governments on policy reforms, fiscal restructuring and institutional development.
His professional engagements span several public and private sector organisations, including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Shell, Huawei, General Electric, MTN and the Odu’a Group.
The newly sworn-in Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enikanolaiye, is a seasoned diplomat and retired Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 35 years of distinguished service.
A native of Igbagun in Kogi State, he graduated with a First Class Degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he emerged as the best graduating student in his faculty.
He later earned a Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy with Distinction from the University of Lagos.
Enikanolaiye joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 and rose through the ranks to become Permanent Secretary in 2016, retiring in August 2017.
During his diplomatic career, he served in Nigeria’s missions in Ethiopia, Serbia, Canada and the United Kingdom, while his last foreign posting was as Nigeria’s Head of Mission in New Delhi, India.
He is the recipient of several prestigious honours, including the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award, the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award and recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Defence College.
Before his appointment as minister, Enikanolaiye served as Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
The appointments are expected to bolster the administration’s efforts to improve electricity supply, deepen economic reforms and strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement with the international community.
