Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila has described newly appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as a national asset whose distinguished career, extensive international relations expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence had adequately prepared him for the responsibilities of ministerial office.

Gbajabiamila made the remarks at a send-off ceremony organised by his office at the State House in Abuja, recalling that Enikanolaiye was selected from a shortlist of three candidates for the role of Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs when Gbajabiamila assumed office, a choice he said he had never regretted.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Enikanolaiye, a career diplomat and former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on April 29 after he had served for three years as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations in the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Enikanolaiye graduated with a first-class degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University in 1981, joined the Ministry of External Affairs in 1982, attended the Foreign Service Academy in Lagos in 1984 where he graduated top of his class, and rose through the ranks of the diplomatic service before his appointment as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 2016. He retired from service in August 2017 after 35 years of distinguished service.

The minister-designate thanked the president for his elevation and the Chief of Staff for providing a work environment that encouraged productivity and excellence. He urged staff members to prioritise excellence, productivity, and positive human relations, and stressed the importance of tolerance and mutual respect, saying religious and other differences should not become sources of antagonism or discord.