Tinubu swears in new Power Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

By Victor Idajili

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday swore in two new ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in a ceremony attended by their spouses and senior government officials.

Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe was inaugurated as Minister of Power, while Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye took the oath as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

The appointments followed the resignation of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who both stepped down to contest the APC governorship primaries in their states. President Tinubu nominated Tegbe and Enikanolaiye as replacements, and the Senate cleared them on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Joseph Tegbe, born in Ibadan, Oyo State, brings over 35 years of experience in fiscal policy, economic and institutional reform, and stakeholder engagement. He has worked across both public and private sectors and is known for his expertise in driving policy implementation and government-business collaboration.

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

A career diplomat, Enikanolaiye has served in Nigeria’s missions in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London, and most recently as Head of Mission in New Delhi, India. Before his ministerial appointment, he was Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff.

The new appointments are expected to fill critical gaps in the power sector and foreign affairs portfolio as the administration pushes ahead with its reform agenda.