President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in two newly appointed ministers, Joseph Tegbe as minister of power, and Sola Enikanolaiye as minister of state for foreign affairs.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the President’s Office in the State House, Abuja, shortly after Mr Tinubu received Madagascar’s president, Michael Randrianirina, on a courtesy visit.
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The Oath of Office was administered in the presence of Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other senior government officials.
The inauguration marks the formal commencement of the ministers’ responsibilities as members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
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The swearing-in follows recent cabinet adjustments approved by the president to strengthen policy implementation and enhance performance across key government sectors.
Mr Tegbe, an indigene of Oyo State, is a fiscal, economic and institutional reform strategist with more than 35 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors.
He holds a First Class Degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Public Administration.
Before his appointment, he served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he led major transformational and public-sector reform initiatives.
His professional engagements have covered institutions such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Shell, Huawei, General Electric, MTN and Odu’a Group.
He replaced Adebayo Adelabu, who resigned to run for the APC governorship primary in Oyo State.
Mr Enikanolaiye, from Kogi State, holds a First Class Degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he emerged the best graduating student in his faculty.
He also obtained a Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy with distinction from the University of Lagos.
The diplomat joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 and rose through the ranks to become permanent secretary, a position he held until his retirement in August 2017 after 35 years of service.
During his diplomatic career, he served in Nigeria’s missions in Ethiopia, Serbia, Canada and the United Kingdom, and was later appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India.
Before he was appointed minister, Mr Enikanolaiye served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
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He is a recipient of several honours, including the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award and the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award.
He replaced Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who was elevated to the position of minister after Yusuf Tuggar resigned to contest the APC primary election in Bauchi State.
The Senate, in May, screened and confirmed Messrs Tegbe and Enikanolaiye as ministers following Tinubu’s request.
(NAN)
![The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Friday, 17 July 2026 [PHOTO CREDIT: @NigeriaMFA]](https://i0.wp.com/media.premiumtimesng.com/wp-content/files/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-18-202132.jpg?fit=963%2C551&ssl=1)
