Nigeria’s Senate on Wednesday confirmed the appointments of Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power, sealing President Bola Tinubu’s latest move to strengthen diplomacy and revive the country’s struggling electricity sector.
The confirmations followed the nominees’ screening during plenary, where lawmakers assessed their credentials and fielded questions before approving them at the Committee of the Whole.
President Tinubu had, in separate letters read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sought legislative approval for the appointments in line with Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The requests were subsequently fast-tracked in accordance with Senate procedures for ministerial nominees.
Enikanolaiye’s confirmation marks a return to the centre of Nigeria’s foreign policy leadership. A seasoned diplomat with over three decades of service, he previously served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations and rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His extensive diplomatic postings across Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London and New Delhi position him as a key figure in advancing Nigeria’s global engagements.
Tegbe’s appointment comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s power sector, which continues to battle grid instability, funding gaps and infrastructure challenges despite ongoing reforms. He replaces former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who resigned in March 2026 to pursue the Oyo State governorship ahead of the 2027 elections.
An experienced economist and policy expert, Tegbe brings over 30 years of experience spanning public and private sectors. He is a former Senior Partner at KPMG Africa and currently serves as Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership. He also chaired the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee inaugurated in 2025.
According to the presidency, Tegbe’s nomination is aimed at accelerating power sector reforms, improving grid reliability and attracting investment into the industry.
With their confirmation, both ministers are set to assume office immediately, as the Tinubu administration intensifies efforts to recalibrate Nigeria’s economic and foreign policy direction amid growing domestic and global challenges.
