The 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, giving legislative backing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle.
The confirmations followed the screening of the nominees at plenary, where they responded to questions from lawmakers before being cleared by the Committee of the Whole.
President Tinubu had, in separate letters transmitted to the Senate on Tuesday, sought approval for the appointments in line with Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The requests were read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who subsequently referred them to the Committee of the Whole for expedited consideration.
“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 Sola Enikanolaiye as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” one of the letters read.
In a similar correspondence, the President requested the confirmation of Tegbe, expressing hope for swift legislative action.
Akpabio assured that the upper chamber would prioritise the requests, fast-tracking the screening and confirmation process.
Enikanolaiye’s confirmation signals his return to Nigeria’s foreign policy space. A career diplomat with over three decades of service, he previously served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations and attained the rank of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs..
Tegbe, an economist and public policy expert, is expected to spearhead efforts to stabilise Nigeria’s power sector amid ongoing challenges in electricity generation and distribution.
The confirmations mark a key step in the administration’s efforts to strengthen governance and address critical sectors of the economy.
