President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday officially administered the oath of office to Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the new Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The brief swearing-in ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, attended by senior government officials and the spouses of the new appointees.
The appointments follow the recent resignations of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who both stepped down to pursue their political ambitions. Following their nominations by the President, both Tegbe and Enikanolaiye were vetted and duly cleared by the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
In a statement released after the ceremony, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, highlighted the extensive experience the new cabinet members bring to the administration.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sworn in Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the new Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs following their successful clearance by the Senate,” Onanuga stated, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to driving fiscal, institutional, and diplomatic reforms.
Joseph Tegbe Assumes Leadership of Nigeria’s Power Sector
The newly appointed Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, steps into the role with over 35 years of professional experience spanning both the public and private sectors. Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Tegbe is a highly regarded fiscal, economic, and institutional reform strategist. He holds a First Class Degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, alongside Master’s degrees in Business Administration (Switzerland) and Public Administration (Birmingham).
Prior to his appointment, Tegbe served as a Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG in Africa. In that role, he led massive transformational initiatives, including the design and execution of major presidential reforms and subnational governance strategies. His extensive background includes strategic advisory roles for high-profile institutions such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and global giants like General Electric and Huawei.
Diplomatic Veteran Sola Enikanolaiye Takes Foreign Affairs Role
Bringing deep bureaucratic and international experience to the administration, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye takes over as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Hailing from Igbagun, Kogi State, Enikanolaiye graduated with a First Class Degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he also won the Dean’s Prize, before earning a Master’s Degree in International Law and Diplomacy with Distinction from the University of Lagos.
Enikanolaiye’s career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began in August 1982. Over a 35-year diplomatic career, he rose through the ranks to become a Director and was later appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in 2016, a position he held until his retirement in 2017. As a seasoned career diplomat, he has served in vital Nigerian missions abroad, including Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London, and most recently as Nigeria’s Head of Mission in New Delhi, India. Prior to this ministerial appointment, he served as the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.
