“Hard Work Will Be Rewarded, Welfare Will Start From Below” – Ambassador Enikanolaiye Promises Staff As He Resumes As Minister of State, Foreign Affairs

The new Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has promised to reward diligence and prioritize staff welfare, declaring that “hard work, diligence and excellence would be rewarded” while “welfare will start from below”.

Speaking at his inaugural address at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, Enikanolaiye, a career diplomat who rose from Third Secretary to Permanent Secretary over 35 years of service, said his return to the Ministry was “a rare privilege and testament to God’s faithfulness”.

“I was filled with deep nostalgia on my way up to this conference room, recalling 35 years spent in this prestigious Ministry rising through the ranks,” the Minister said. He pledged to deploy his “utmost best” towards achieving the Ministry’s core mandate under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 4Ds foreign policy: Democracy, Demography, Development and Diaspora.

The Minister was direct about staff welfare and discipline:. in his words, “In this regard, I must hasten to add that hard work, diligence and excellence would be rewarded. In the same manner, those who fall below our expected standards would be treated in accordance with extant regulations that provide zero tolerance for indiscipline, indolence and unprofessional conduct”.

He acknowledged the Ministry’s challenges, including “inadequate funding and low staff morale”, and vowed to seek “creative and innovative ways of addressing these challenges” with support from the President, National Assembly and stakeholders.

Enikanolaiye said only teamwork can make the Ministry “the cynosure of all eyes – proactive, innovative and globally competitive”. He promised to “revamp the Ministry’s internal structures, systems and processes to restore professionalism in the conduct of Nigeria’s diplomacy”.

At the center of Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust, he said, is “the commitment to safeguard our national interest, promote peace and security, as well as ensure the welfare and protection of our citizens abroad”.

He pledged “unalloyed cooperation and support” to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, recalling their collaboration when he served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.

The Minister said the African continent has high hope on Nigeria, as such we cannot meet up with the expectations. In his words, “The expectations of Nigerians and indeed the African continent are high. We cannot afford to fail Mr. President in this noble task. Our collective progress is hinged on the full cooperation and dedication of every one of you.”

Ambassador Enikanolaiye was received by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, PhD; Directors, and staff of the Ministry.