Tinubu Swears In New Power, Foreign Affairs Ministers

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday swore in Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the new Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in the presence of family members of the ministers and senior government officials. The appointments followed the resignations of former Power Minister, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to pursue their political ambitions. The Senate confirmed the appointments on May 6, 2026.

Tegbe, who hails from Ibadan in Oyo State, is an economist, reform strategist and stakeholder engagement expert with more than 35 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. He holds a First Class degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University and master’s degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration.

Before his appointment, Tegbe served as a Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa. He played key roles in several government reform programmes and worked with major institutions and companies, including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Shell, Huawei, General Electric and MTN.

Ambassador Enikanolaiye, from Igbagun in Kogi State, earned a First Class degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated as the best student in his faculty. He also obtained a master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos with distinction.

The veteran diplomat joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 and rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary before retiring in 2017 after 35 years of service. He served in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in Ethiopia, Serbia, Canada, the United Kingdom and India, where he was Nigeria’s Head of Mission in New Delhi.

Until his appointment, Enikanolaiye was Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations. According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, both ministers are expected to bring their extensive experience to strengthen governance and service delivery in their respective ministries.