By our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
In a related development, the President also approved the redesignation of the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas) to streamline responsibilities and eliminate overlaps within the energy governance structure.
Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to bring extensive experience and deep understanding of the electricity value chain to the role. His appointment, according to the Presidency, reflects the administration’s resolve to undertake a comprehensive and results-oriented reform of the power sector.
The Presidential Taskforce, which he will chair, is mandated to operate under direct presidential oversight as a high-level implementation body focused on restoring efficiency, discipline, and commercial viability across the sector. It will also ensure improved coordination among key ministries, departments, and agencies.
Among its core responsibilities are driving a system-wide reset of the electricity sector, implementing a “Performance Before Expansion” framework, reducing technical and commercial losses, and strengthening cost discipline and tariff integrity.
The Taskforce is also expected to enhance revenue assurance and liquidity within the sector, restore grid discipline and market integrity, promote productive use of electricity across critical sectors, and develop Electricity Growth Zones. Additionally, it will work to reduce fiscal exposure and deliver a 90-day implementation blueprint.
President Tinubu charged the new Special Adviser to bring urgency, discipline, and a strong execution focus to the assignment in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with the aim of delivering measurable improvements in power supply and overall sector performance.
