Tinubu Appoints Bianca Ojukwu as Foreign Affairs Minister

President Tinubu elevates Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu to Foreign Affairs Minister. The appointment follows a recent cabinet reshuffle.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu appointed as Nigeria's new Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Tinubu.

President Bola Tinubu has approved a significant change in the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has elevated Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu from her role as Minister of State to the substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The decision follows the resignation of the former minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar. Tuggar stepped down to focus on his ambition to contest the Bauchi State governorship election in 2027.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the changes. Onanuga revealed that the President has also nominated Sola Enikanolaiye as the new Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. This nomination is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu is no stranger to diplomacy or public service. She is the widow of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Before her initial appointment as Minister of State in 2023, she served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain and Italy.

Her predecessor, Tuggar, had held the position since August 2023. His resignation aligns with a recent directive from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The circular had mandated all political appointees with future electoral ambitions to resign their current positions.

The new nominee, Enikanolaiye, brings a wealth of experience to the table. He is a seasoned diplomat with over three decades of service. Until this nomination, he served as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations. He has previously held key positions as a Permanent Secretary and has served in major cities including London, Ottawa, and Addis Ababa.

President Tinubu expressed his confidence in the new leadership. He urged the appointees to reposition the nation’s foreign policy, focusing on economic diplomacy and the welfare of Nigerians globally.