President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, appointed Rilwan Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
Tinubu also redesignated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil and Gas) to clarify roles and prevent overlap within the energy governance structure.
Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to bring his sectoral experience and understanding of the challenges in the electricity value chain to the role.
The appointment, according to presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, is aimed at driving results-oriented reset of the nation’s power sector.
Onanuga noted that the Presidential Task Force, which Babalola will chair, has been mandated to restore efficiency, discipline, and commercial viability in the sector while improving coordination among relevant government agencies.
The task force is expected to implement key reforms, including a comprehensive system reset, reduction of technical and commercial losses, and enforcement of cost discipline and tariff integrity.
“The Presidential Taskforce, which he heads, will operate under a direct presidential mandate as a high-level, delivery-focused vehicle to restore discipline, efficiency, and commercial viability across the power sector, while ensuring effective coordination among relevant ministries, departments, and agencies.
“The Taskforce’s mandate includes driving a comprehensive system reset of the electricity sector; implementing a “Performance Before Expansion” framework; reducing technical, commercial, and collection losses; and strengthening cost discipline and tariff integrity,” the statement partly read.
He added that the Taskforce will also focus on improving revenue assurance, enhancing sector liquidity, restoring grid discipline, and promoting increased use of electricity across critical sectors of the economy.
Other responsibilities include developing Electricity Growth Zones, reducing fiscal exposure, and delivering a 90-day implementation blueprint.
