Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye was born on 14th September 1959 in Igbagun, Yagba East Local Government Area, Kogi State. A career diplomat of exceptional distinction, he served the Federal Republic of Nigeria in various capacities — both domestically and internationally — over more than three decades.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science with First Class Honours from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1981. He subsequently earned a Distinction in Diplomatic Studies at the University of Oxford (1991), and a Master of International Law and Diplomacy (M.I.L.D.) from the University of Lagos with Distinction and GPA of 4.55/5.0 (1992).

Ambassador Enikanolaiye joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a career diplomat in 1982, serving with honour for over 35 years. He rose to the position of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2016–2017) — the highest administrative office in the Ministry. He later served as Director at the National Defence College of Nigeria (2019–2023), contributing to the training of senior military and civilian officers in national security and strategic studies.

In 2023, he was appointed Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Foreign Affairs, a role he held until his appointment as Honourable Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He was sworn in on 8th June 2026, bringing decades of diplomatic expertise to the highest level of government service.