President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday filled vacancies in two strategic ministries, formally inaugurating Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, bringing an end to weeks of anticipation following changes in the Federal Executive Council.
The appointments follow the exit of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who left the cabinet to pursue political interests.
With the latest appointments, the administration has turned to two experienced technocrats, one from the policy and corporate advisory space and the other from the diplomatic corps to take charge of portfolios considered critical to governance and Nigeria’s engagement with the international community.
Tegbe assumes office with a background rooted in economic management, institutional reforms and strategic advisory services. Over the course of his career, he has worked across both the public and private sectors, advising governments, regulators and multinational organisations on policy and development issues.
An engineer by training, the Oyo State-born appointee earned a First Class degree from Obafemi Awolowo University before obtaining postgraduate qualifications in administration and management abroad. He previously held senior leadership positions at KPMG Africa and was involved in reform-focused engagements across several sectors of the economy.
His professional experience also includes collaborations with regulatory agencies and major corporations in the telecommunications, energy and industrial sectors.
For the foreign affairs ministry, the President selected a career diplomat whose service spans more than three decades. Enikanolaiye rose through the ranks of Nigeria’s foreign service after joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the early years of his career. He later served in several diplomatic missions and occupied top administrative positions within the ministry, including Permanent Secretary.
The Kogi State-born diplomat represented Nigeria in postings across Africa, Europe and North America before serving as the country’s envoy in India.
Before joining the Federal Executive Council, he worked closely with the Presidency as Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff.
The Presidency said both officials had earlier secured Senate confirmation before their inauguration and expressed confidence in their capacity to contribute to the administration’s policy objectives in their respective sectors.
The inauguration was attended by senior government functionaries, relatives of the appointees and other invited guests.
