President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the appointment of Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser to the President on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration, in a move aimed at accelerating reforms in Nigeria’s electricity industry.
In a statement posted on Thursday via the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, said the President has also redesignated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) as Special Adviser (Oil & Gas), a strategic adjustment designed to clarify mandates and eliminate overlaps within the federal government’s energy governance architecture.
Mr Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to bring extensive sectoral experience and institutional knowledge to bear on the assignment, particularly given his familiarity with the structural and operational challenges affecting Nigeria’s electricity value chain.
According to the Presidency, his appointment reflects President Tinubu’s determination to push a “decisive and results-driven reset” of the power sector, with a strong emphasis on delivery, accountability, and performance.
The Presidential Task Force, which he will lead, is established as a high-level, delivery-focused intervention platform operating under direct presidential mandate. It is tasked with restoring discipline, improving efficiency, and strengthening the commercial viability of the electricity sector, while ensuring coordinated action across relevant ministries, departments, and agencies.
The Task Force’s core mandate includes driving a comprehensive system reset of the electricity sector and implementing a “Performance Before Expansion” framework aimed at prioritising stability and efficiency before capacity expansion.
It is also expected to reduce technical, commercial, and collection losses, while reinforcing cost discipline and tariff integrity across the power value chain.
Other key priorities include improving revenue assurance and enhancing liquidity within the sector, restoring grid discipline and market integrity, and promoting productive electricity use across critical sectors of the economy.
The initiative will also focus on the development of Electricity Growth Zones, reducing fiscal exposure to the power sector, and delivering a 90-day implementation blueprint to guide immediate reforms and measurable outcomes.
The statement further said that President Tinubu expects Mr Babalola to bring urgency, discipline, and strong execution capacity to the assignment in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the ultimate objective of delivering tangible improvements in electricity supply and overall sector performance.
Boluwatife Enome
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