Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed 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 sector.
The presidency also announced the redesignation of the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas), a step intended to streamline responsibilities and eliminate overlaps within the country’s energy governance structure.
Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to leverage his extensive experience to address long-standing structural and operational inefficiencies across the electricity value chain. His appointment signals a renewed push by the administration to deliver measurable improvements in power supply and sector performance.
The newly established Presidential Task Force will operate under a direct mandate from the president, functioning as a high-level execution body focused on restoring efficiency, discipline, and commercial viability in the power sector. It will also coordinate activities across key ministries, departments, and agencies.
Among its core responsibilities, the Task Force will drive a comprehensive reset of the electricity system, implement a “Performance Before Expansion” strategy, and tackle technical, commercial, and collection losses. It will also focus on improving tariff discipline, enhancing sector liquidity, and strengthening revenue assurance mechanisms.
Additional priorities include restoring grid stability and market integrity, promoting productive energy use across industries, developing Electricity Growth Zones, and reducing the government’s fiscal exposure to the sector. A 90-day implementation roadmap is expected as part of its initial deliverables.
The president has tasked Babalola with bringing urgency and strong execution to the role, aligning with the administration’s broader reform agenda aimed at revitalising Nigeria’s power infrastructure and supporting economic growth.