Tinubu Swears In Tegbe, Enikanolaiye as New Ministers
President Bola Tinubu on Monday swore in Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs during a ceremony held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The inauguration followed the resignation of former Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections to pursue elective political offices.
In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the brief ceremony took place at the Council Chamber and was witnessed by family members of the new ministers, senior government officials and members of the Federal Executive Council.
Tinubu had nominated Tegbe and Enikanolaiye on May 5, 2026, while the Senate confirmed their appointments a day later.
The duo becomes the latest additions to the Federal Executive Council following a directive issued in March by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requiring ministers with political ambitions to resign before participating in party primaries.
Their appointments come weeks after Dr. Muttaqha Darma was sworn in as Minister of Housing and Urban Development on April 30, 2026, replacing Ahmed Dangiwa as part of a cabinet reorganisation that also saw Taiwo Oyedele assume office as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Until his appointment, Enikanolaiye served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations. His elevation fills the position of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, which became vacant after Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu was elevated to substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs following Tuggar’s resignation.
A seasoned diplomat from Igbagun in Kogi State, Enikanolaiye brings more than three decades of experience in Nigeria’s foreign service. He holds a First Class degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated as the best student in his faculty, as well as a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 and rose through the ranks to become Permanent Secretary in 2016 before retiring from service in 2017. During his diplomatic career, he served in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London and New Delhi, where he completed his final posting as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India.
Enikanolaiye is a recipient of several national honours and professional recognitions, including the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award, the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award and the Distinguished Fellowship of the National Defence College.
Tegbe, an indigene of Ibadan in Oyo State, assumes office with over 35 years of experience spanning both the public and private sectors.
He holds a First Class degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, an MBA from Switzerland and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Prior to his appointment, Tegbe served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he played key roles in implementing public sector reforms and fiscal restructuring programmes at both federal and state levels.
His professional experience also includes engagements with major institutions such as the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Shell, Huawei, General Electric and MTN.
He also served as Director-General and Global Liaison of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership.
Tinubu initially constituted his cabinet on August 21, 2023, when he inaugurated 45 ministers in what was the largest single-day cabinet swearing-in since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
The administration carried out its first major cabinet reshuffle in October 2024 and has since overseen a series of ministerial replacements, portfolio reassignments and appointments as part of ongoing efforts to reposition the government.
With the latest appointments, the Tinubu administration has now recorded more than a dozen cabinet changes since assuming office in 2023.