President Bola Tinubu has appointed Rilwan Lanre Babalola as his special adviser on power.
The former minister was also appointed as the chairman of the presidential task force on power sector reset and restoration.
In a statement on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, presidential aide, said the appointment underscores the president’s determination to undertake a decisive and results-driven reset of Nigeria’s power sector.
The presidency also announced the redesignation of the office of the special adviser on energy to special adviser on oil and gas to clarify roles and avoid duplication of functions within the energy governance framework.
“Mr Babalola, a former Minister for Power, brings deep sectoral expertise and a proven understanding of the structural and operational challenges within the electricity value chain,” the statement reads.
“The Presidential Taskforce, which he heads, will operate under a direct presidential mandate as a high-level, delivery-focused vehicle to restore discipline, efficiency, and commercial viability across the power sector, while ensuring effective coordination among relevant ministries, departments, and agencies.”
According to the statement, the task force will be responsible for driving a comprehensive system reset of the electricity sector, implementing a performance before expansion framework, reducing technical, commercial, and collection losses, and strengthening cost discipline and tariff integrity.
“It will also enhance revenue assurance and sector liquidity; restore grid discipline and market integrity; promote productive use of power across key sectors; develop Electricity Growth Zones; reduce fiscal exposure; and deliver a 90-day implementation blueprint,” Onanuga said.
The presidential aide said Tinubu expects Babalola to bring urgency, discipline, and a strong execution focus to the assignment, to deliver measurable improvements in power supply and sector performance in line with the renewed hope agenda.
Comments