President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday formally inaugurated two new members of the Federal Executive Council, swearing in Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs following the exit of their predecessors from the cabinet.
The brief ceremony, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was attended by the ministers’ spouses, senior government officials and aides.
The appointments come on the heels of the resignations of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, both of whom reportedly stepped down to pursue political ambitions ahead of the next electoral cycle.
According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the two nominees had earlier secured Senate confirmation on May 6, 2026, before taking the oath of office on Monday.
Tegbe, an accomplished economic reform expert and stakeholder engagement strategist, now takes charge of Nigeria’s troubled power sector at a time when electricity generation, transmission challenges and energy access remain major concerns for citizens and businesses.
Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, the new minister brings more than three decades of experience spanning 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 Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he spearheaded several high-level government reform initiatives and fiscal restructuring programmes.
According to the presidency, Tegbe has worked with major institutions and corporations including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Shell, Huawei, General Electric and MTN.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Enikanolaiye assumes office as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, bringing decades of diplomatic experience to Nigeria’s foreign policy establishment.
The Kogi State-born diplomat graduated with a First Class degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he emerged the best graduating student in his faculty. He later obtained a master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos with distinction.
Having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982, Enikanolaiye rose through the ranks to become Permanent Secretary of the ministry before retiring in 2017 after 35 years of service.
His diplomatic career saw him represent Nigeria in key foreign missions including Ethiopia, Serbia, Canada, the United Kingdom and India, where he served as Head of Mission in New Delhi.
Before his elevation to the cabinet, he served as Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Highlighting the credentials of the new ministers, the presidency noted that Enikanolaiye is a recipient of several honours, including the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award and the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award.
The inauguration signals a fresh leadership chapter for two strategic ministries as the Tinubu administration seeks to tackle lingering power sector challenges and deepen Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements on the global stage.
“We nominated the two new ministers, who the Senate duly cleared,” the presidency said, confirming that the appointments followed the departure of Adelabu and Tuggar from the cabinet.
The appointments are expected to draw significant public attention, particularly in the power sector, where Nigerians continue to demand improved electricity supply and accelerated reforms.
