The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has reaffirmed the welfare and interests of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora as the central focus of Nigeria’s foreign policy.
Enikanolaiye stated this when women from Yagba South East District in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, led by their National President, Chief Mrs Ojo Iyabode, paid him a solidarity visit in his office on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The Minister, who is Patron of the grassroots women’s group, Chairman of the Yagba South East Development Association and Agbaakin of Yagba South East, commended the women for their commitment to community development, particularly their medical outreaches, women and youth empowerment initiatives and cooperative activities.
He pledged his continued support for the group, describing their level of organisation and contributions to the community as impressive.
“It is an honour to be visited by you. It is a rare thing to be recognised and celebrated at home, especially by women. I do not take this visit for granted. Anyone who plays with the role of women is playing with fire,” he said.
Enikanolaiye explained that the Federal Government’s foreign policy was anchored on the four Ds — Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy — which, he said, represented critical components of the country’s foreign policy direction under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the demography component placed Nigerians at the heart of foreign policy, stressing that diplomacy must ultimately translate into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens.
“Demography is about the people. About you and I, everyone of us. That is the view that foreign policy must impact in the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Otherwise, foreign policy remains just foreign, with the Ministry dealing more with foreigners,” the Minister said.
He noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working to ensure that Nigeria’s foreign policy promoted national interest, citizens’ welfare, prosperity and economic wellbeing.
According to him, this explains the Federal Government’s efforts to attract direct foreign investment and engage Nigerians in the diaspora as critical assets for national development.
The Minister also highlighted the importance of the development component of the 4Ds, saying the government was working to harness Nigeria’s potential to improve human security, education, infrastructure and economic opportunities.
He urged Nigerian women and small and medium-scale business owners to take advantage of international opportunities, including trade, investment and financing programmes available through platforms such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and ECOWAS.
Enikanolaiye stressed the need for entrepreneurs to improve the packaging and international marketability of their products in order to benefit from emerging opportunities.
He said his recent engagements in Maiduguri on security within the Lake Chad Basin and in Bauchi on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme were part of efforts to connect Nigeria’s foreign policy with practical opportunities for citizens.
The Minister assured the women of his continued commitment to the development of Yagba South East and urged them to sustain their support and prayers for the Federal Government.
Earlier, the National President of the group, Chief Mrs Ojo Iyabode, congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, describing his new position as one with significant responsibilities for advancing Nigeria’s diplomatic relations and international interests.
She said the group was proud of the national recognition accorded its patron and expressed confidence that his wisdom, experience, integrity and commitment to service would make a meaningful impact in his new role.
She also thanked President Tinubu for considering their son worthy of the appointment and prayed for wisdom, strength, good health and courage for the Minister to successfully discharge his responsibilities.
