PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser to the President on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The appointment was announced in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Tinubu also redesignated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) as the Special Adviser (Oil & Gas) in order to clarify roles and avoid duplication of functions within the nation’s energy governance framework.
Mr Babalola, a former Minister for Power, was described as a seasoned expert with deep sectoral knowledge and a strong understanding of the structural and operational challenges confronting Nigeria’s electricity value chain.
The Presidency stated that his appointment reflects President Tinubu’s determination to carry out a decisive and result-oriented reset of the country’s power sector.
The statement explained that the Presidential Task Force, which Babalola will chair, will operate under a direct presidential mandate as a high-level, delivery focused platform aimed at restoring discipline, efficiency and commercial viability within the power sector.
It added that the task force would also ensure effective coordination among relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
According to the Presidency, the mandate of the task force includes driving a comprehensive reset of the electricity sector and implementing a “Performance Before Expansion” framework.
The task force is also expected to reduce technical, commercial and collection losses while strengthening cost discipline and tariff integrity across the sector.
Other responsibilities include enhancing revenue assurance and sector liquidity, restoring grid discipline and market integrity, promoting productive use of power across critical sectors, developing Electricity Growth Zones, reducing fiscal exposure and delivering a 90-day implementation blueprint.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that Babalola would bring urgency, discipline and a strong execution-driven approach to the assignment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President further stated that the goal is to achieve measurable improvements in power supply and overall sector performance.
