By Sandra Ugwu

President Bola Tinubu on Monday inaugurated Mr Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The swearing-in ceremony, attended by family members and senior government officials, followed the resignation of former Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu and former Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to pursue elective positions ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries.

A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that both ministers were nominated on May 5 and confirmed by the Senate the following day.

Enikanolaiye, a veteran diplomat from Kogi State, replaces Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs after she was elevated to the substantive Foreign Affairs portfolio. With over 35 years in the foreign service, he previously served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria’s Head of Mission in India. Until his appointment, he was Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.

Tegbe, an indigene of Oyo State, brings more than three decades of experience across the public and private sectors to the Ministry of Power. A former Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, he has worked with several key institutions, including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Shell, Huawei, General Electric and MTN. He also served as Director-General and Global Liaison of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership.

The two appointments mark the latest changes in Tinubu’s cabinet following a directive requiring ministers with political ambitions to resign before party primaries. Since the inauguration of the Federal Executive Council in August 2023, the administration has undertaken multiple cabinet reshuffles, replacements and portfolio adjustments.