Tinubu Names Babalola Power Adviser, Taskforce Chair

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration, in a move aimed at accelerating reforms and improving electricity supply across the country.

The appointment, announced in a State House press release on Thursday, places Babalola at the centre of a new high-level intervention designed to restore efficiency, discipline, and commercial viability in Nigeria’s troubled power sector.

As part of the restructuring, the President also redesignated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas), a step officials say is intended to clarify responsibilities and eliminate overlaps within the government’s energy governance framework.

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Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to leverage his extensive experience in the electricity sector to drive a comprehensive reform agenda. The presidency noted that his deep understanding of the structural and operational challenges within the power value chain makes him well-suited for the role.

The newly established Presidential Task Force, which Babalola will lead, is to operate under a direct mandate from the President with a focus on delivering measurable outcomes. It is tasked with coordinating efforts across key ministries, departments, and agencies to address longstanding inefficiencies that have hindered stable power supply.

According to the statement, the Task Force will spearhead a “system reset” of the electricity sector, anchored on a “Performance Before Expansion” framework. This approach prioritises optimising existing infrastructure before embarking on new capacity projects.

Key responsibilities of the Task Force include reducing technical, commercial, and collection losses across the electricity value chain, strengthening cost discipline, and ensuring tariff integrity. It is also expected to improve revenue assurance, boost liquidity within the sector, and restore grid discipline and market stability.

Beyond operational reforms, the Task Force will promote the productive use of electricity in critical sectors of the economy and facilitate the development of Electricity Growth Zones to stimulate industrial activity. It will also work to reduce the government’s fiscal exposure to the sector.

A central deliverable of the initiative is the development of a 90-day implementation blueprint outlining immediate actions to stabilise and reposition the power industry.

President Tinubu emphasised the need for urgency and results, expressing confidence that Babalola would bring strong execution and accountability to the role in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The appointment signals a renewed push by the federal government to tackle persistent power challenges and deliver improved electricity supply to households and businesses nationwide.