President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Minister of Power, Rilwan Lanre Babalola, as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The appointment was disclosed on Thursday, April 30, in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Babalola’s appointment came barely an hour after the presidency announced the nomination of Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power.
What they are saying
As part of the new arrangement, the President redesignated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas) to avoid overlap in responsibilities within the energy governance framework.
This allows Babalola, who previously served as Minister of Power between December 2008 and March 2010, to focus on advising the President on power while overseeing the newly created Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The presidency said the task force will operate as a high-level intervention body with a direct mandate from the President to drive reforms and coordination across the sector.
- “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 task force is expected to lead a broad reset of the electricity sector, including enforcing a “performance before expansion” approach, cutting technical and commercial losses, and improving cost discipline and tariff structures.
It will also focus on boosting sector liquidity, strengthening market integrity, promoting productive energy use, developing electricity growth zones, reducing government financial exposure, and delivering a 90-day implementation roadmap.
Get up to speed
Recall that Nairametrics reported that President Tinubu earlier nominated Tegbe as Minister of Power, with his appointment already transmitted to the Senate for screening and confirmation in line with constitutional provisions.
- The latest appointments come about a week after former Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu resigned to pursue the Oyo State governorship race.
- The changes appear to signal the government’s push to address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s power sector, including mounting debts, gas supply shortages, and persistent electricity outages.
On Tegbe’s nomination, Onanuga said the President expects him to deploy his expertise to drive reforms and improve outcomes in the sector, while Babalola is expected to bring urgency, discipline, and strong execution to deliver measurable improvements in power supply.
What you should know
Babalola previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Power from December 2008 until March 2010, following his appointment by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He exited the role after the cabinet dissolution by the then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.
- An energy economist with a PhD from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, Babalola has held key roles across Nigeria’s electricity reform ecosystem.
- He joined the Bureau of Public Enterprises in 2001, where he led the Power Sector Team and played a central role in reforms that led to the establishment of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.
He also briefly served as Deputy General Manager at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and later joined the Economic Advisory Team under President Yar’Adua, bringing extensive experience in both policy and infrastructure finance.
