The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Wednesday called Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye “a national asset” as the career diplomat prepared to assume the role of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The tribute came at a send-off ceremony at the Presidential Villa convened by the Chief of Staff’s office.
Gbajabiamila praised Enikanolaiye’s diplomatic record, academic background and institutional experience, saying they had readied him for Ministerial duties and would serve Nigeria’s international engagements well.
“When I resumed duty, I had three names from which to choose a Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs. I did not know any of them, but I chose Ambassador Enikanolaiye,” Gbajabiamila said.
“You have proven yourself to be a man of exemplary work ethic. With your commitment and dedication to duty, I have no doubt in my mind that wherever you go, you will succeed.”
President Tinubu appointed Enikanolaiye to the Minister-level post on April 29, 2026.
The Ambassador, a career foreign-service officer and former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, served the past three years as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff.
Speakers at the event singled out Enikanolaiye’s professionalism and interpersonal skills.
In a statement by Abiodun Oladunjoye Director, Information & Public Relations, Gbajabiamila noted that even when the two disagreed, the minister-designate remained “focused, respectful and professional,” and predicted his elevation would yield “immense” benefits for the nation’s diplomacy.
In his remarks, Enikanolaiye thanked President Tinubu for the appointment and the Chief of Staff for a work environment he said fostered productivity.
He urged staff to prioritise excellence, productivity and positive workplace relations, warning against attitudes that breed acrimony and unproductivity.
The Minister also urged tolerance across religious and other differences, citing his own household—he is Muslim and his wife is a devout Christian—as an example.
Mrs. Oyinade Nathan-Marsh, Senior Special Assistant on Administration and Operations in the Chief of Staff’s office, said the ceremony recognized Enikanolaiye’s “commitment to duty, institutional capacity, attention to detail and strong sense of responsibility.”
She described his appointment as deserved and prayed for wisdom in what she called a role that would demand extensive human-resources skills.
Enikanolaiye, a native of Igbagun, Kogi State, graduated with a first-class degree in political science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981 and joined the Ministry of External Affairs in 1982.
He completed the Foreign Service Academy in Lagos in 1984 as top of his class, rose through diplomatic ranks, and was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 2016.
He retired from the civil service on August 4, 2017, after 35 years of service.
