President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of a Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The appointment was announced in a State House statement on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the President also approved the redesignation of the Office of the Special Adviser on Energy to Special Adviser on Oil and Gas, in a move aimed at streamlining responsibilities and eliminating overlaps within the energy governance structure.
The statement noted that Babalola, a former Minister of Power, brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of the structural and operational challenges facing Nigeria’s electricity sector.
It added that the appointment underscores the administration’s resolve to implement comprehensive and results-driven reforms in the power sector.
The Presidential Task Force, to be chaired by Babalola, will function as a high-level implementation body operating under a direct mandate from the President to restore efficiency, discipline, and commercial viability across the sector.
The Task Force is expected to coordinate activities among key ministries, departments, and agencies, while driving reforms targeted at improving electricity supply nationwide.
Its mandate includes implementing a system-wide reset of the electricity industry, enforcing a “performance before expansion” framework, reducing technical and commercial losses, and strengthening cost discipline and tariff integrity.
It will also focus on improving revenue assurance, enhancing sector liquidity, restoring grid discipline, and promoting productive electricity use across key sectors of the economy.
In addition, the Task Force is expected to develop Electricity Growth Zones, reduce fiscal pressures on government, and deliver a 90-day implementation blueprint for the sector.
“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,” the statement said.
