President Bola Tinubu has appointed 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 repositioning Nigeria’s electricity industry.
The appointment, announced on Thursday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The President has also redesignated of the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil and Gas) to streamline responsibilities within the energy sector.
Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to lead efforts to drive reforms and improve efficiency across the electricity value chain.
According to the President, the task force will operate under a direct presidential mandate to restore discipline, efficiency and commercial viability in the sector.
“The Presidential Taskforce will serve as a high-level, delivery-focused vehicle to restore discipline, efficiency, and commercial viability across the power sector,” the statement said.
It added that the initiative reflects the administration’s resolve to undertake a decisive reset of the sector.
The task force has been mandated to implement a comprehensive reform agenda, including a “Performance Before Expansion” framework, reduction of technical and commercial losses, and strengthening of tariff integrity.
Other key responsibilities include improving revenue assurance, enhancing sector liquidity, restoring grid discipline, and promoting productive use of electricity across critical sectors of the economy.
The statement noted that the task force would also develop Electricity Growth Zones, reduce fiscal exposure, and deliver a 90-day implementation blueprint.
“The President expects Mr Babalola to bring urgency, discipline, and a strong execution focus to this assignment, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, to deliver measurable improvements in power supply and sector performance,” it added.
The appointment forms part of the administration’s broader efforts under the Renewed Hope Agenda to address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s power sector and ensure more reliable electricity supply nationwide.