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.
As part of broader reforms, the President also approved the redesignation of the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas), a move aimed at clarifying responsibilities and eliminating overlaps within Nigeria’s energy governance structure.
Babalola, a former Minister for Power, is expected to leverage his experience to address longstanding structural and operational challenges across the electricity value chain.
His appointment signals the administration’s renewed push to deliver measurable improvements in power supply through a more coordinated and results-oriented approach.
The Presidential Task Force, which he will lead, is mandated to function as a high-level execution body operating directly under the President. It is expected to drive reforms focused on restoring efficiency, discipline, and commercial viability within the power sector.
Key priorities of the task force include implementing a comprehensive reset of the electricity system, enforcing a “Performance Before Expansion” framework, and tackling technical, commercial, and collection losses.
The task force will also focus on improving revenue assurance, enhancing sector liquidity, restoring grid discipline, and strengthening overall market integrity. Other areas of focus include promoting productive energy use across key sectors, developing Electricity Growth Zones, reducing fiscal pressures, and delivering a 90-day implementation blueprint.
The presidency said the appointment aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with expectations that Babalola will bring urgency, discipline, and strong execution to the role in a bid to stabilise and transform Nigeria’s power sector.
