ABUJA, Nigeria: The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria confirmed the appointments of Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Okay News reports that Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu transmitted separate letters to the legislature on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, seeking constitutional approval for the two cabinet nominees. President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, read the requests on the floor and referred the nominations to the Committee of the Whole for immediate screening.
In the correspondence regarding Enikanolaiye, Tinubu said, “In compliance with the provisions of Section 147(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, I am pleased to forward for confirmation by the Senate the nomination of Ambassador Shola Enikolaye as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The letter regarding Tegbe contained identical constitutional references, with Tinubu adding, “While I hope this request will receive the expeditious consideration of the Senate, please accept the assurances of my highest regards.” Following the reading, Akpabio said, “This correspondence is referred to the Committee of the Whole for immediate action.”
Enikanolaiye, nominated in April 2026, is a career diplomat from Kogi State with over 30 years of service. He previously held the positions of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with prior diplomatic postings in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London, and New Delhi.
Tegbe replaces former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, who resigned in March 2026 to enter the Oyo State governorship race. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said previously that the nomination was intended to reinforce sector reforms and improve grid reliability. Tegbe is a former Senior Partner at KPMG Africa and the current Director-General for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership. He chaired the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee in 2025.
