President Bola Tinubu has filled key vacancies in his cabinet, swearing in Joseph Tegbe as Minister of Power and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. The brief ceremony was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday, attended by the new ministers' spouses, senior government officials, and presidential aides.
New Ministers Sworn In
During the ceremony, one of the appointees promised to address the decades-old problems in the nation's power sector but noted that solutions would not come within weeks or months. The appointments followed the resignation of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar and former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, who stepped down to pursue political ambitions.
President Tinubu subsequently nominated Tegbe and Enikanolaiye to replace them, and both nominees were confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Tegbe's Vision for Power Sector
Tegbe told State House Correspondents: "I will not promise what I cannot deliver, but I promise visible improvement, as you have been seeing, and I will continue to communicate honestly with you every step of the way." He outlined a structured power sector reform strategy built around execution discipline, clear milestones, and public accountability, stating that preliminary results were already visible on the ground.
Among the developments the new minister highlighted was the revival of the 450-megawatt Alaoji Open Cycle Power Plant in Abia State, which had been shut down for three years. The Niger Delta Power Holding Company restored the facility, with up to 375 megawatts now available for dispatch to the national grid.
Tegbe's Background
Tegbe, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, is a renowned fiscal, economic, and institutional reform strategist with more than 35 years of professional experience across the public and private sectors. He is also recognized for his expertise in stakeholder engagement and public sector transformation. He holds a First Class degree in Civil Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, as well as Master's degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration obtained in Switzerland and Birmingham, respectively.
Before his appointment, Tegbe served as Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he led many transformational initiatives, including the design and implementation of major presidential reforms and the development of strategic frameworks for subnational governments. He also played significant roles in fiscal policy restructuring across different tiers of government and worked with organizations such as the Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigeria Revenue Service, Shell, Huawei, General Electric, MTN, and the Odu'a Group.
Enikanolaiye's Diplomatic Career
Enikanolaiye, a native of Igbagun in Kogi State, graduated with a First Class degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he emerged as the Best Graduating Student in his faculty and won the Dean's Prize. He later earned a Master's degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos with distinction.
He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1982 and rose through the ranks to become Director before his appointment as Permanent Secretary of the ministry in 2016. He retired from the civil service on August 4, 2017, after 35 years of distinguished service. A seasoned diplomat, Enikanolaiye served in many Nigerian missions abroad, including Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Belgrade, Serbia; Ottawa, Canada; and London, United Kingdom. His final foreign posting was as the Head of Mission in New Delhi, India.
He is a recipient of many honors, including the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award, the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award, and recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Defence College. Until his appointment, Enikanolaiye served as Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
