Yemi Obafemi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday swore in Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The appointments were announced in a statement signed by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
The President nominated the two ministers following the resignations of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who stepped down to pursue their political ambitions. The Senate confirmed both nominees on May 6, 2026.
The brief swearing-in ceremony was attended by the ministers’ spouses and senior government officials.
Tegbe, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State, brings more than 35 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors.
A fiscal, economic and institutional reform 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 reform initiatives and advised governments on fiscal policy, institutional transformation and stakeholder engagement.
He has also worked with organisations including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Shell, Huawei, General Electric and MTN.
Enikanolaiye, from Igbagun in Kogi State, is a seasoned diplomat with over three decades of experience in Nigeria’s foreign service.
He earned a First Class degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later obtained a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos with distinction.
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 and rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary before retiring 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 Nigeria’s Head of Mission in New Delhi, India.
The statement further revealed that, until his appointment, 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.
According to the Presidency, the diplomat is a recipient of several 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.
