President Bola Tinubu has appointed Rilwan Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to spearhead fresh efforts by the administration to tackle persistent challenges in the electricity sector.
According to the statement, the President has tasked him with driving reforms with urgency and a results-oriented approach in line with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The newly constituted task force will function under a direct presidential mandate, serving as a high-level platform to enhance coordination among key agencies in the power sector.
It is also expected to oversee reforms across the electricity value chain, improve operational efficiency and restore commercial viability.
The statement noted that the task force would prioritise a “performance before expansion” strategy, while addressing technical and commercial losses, and enforcing cost discipline and tariff integrity.
It added that the initiative would focus on boosting revenue generation, improving liquidity, strengthening grid stability and enhancing overall market performance.
Other areas of focus include promoting productive use of electricity in critical sectors, developing electricity growth zones, reducing fiscal pressures and delivering a 90-day implementation roadmap.
In a related development, the President approved the redesignation of the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser on Oil and Gas, as part of efforts to streamline responsibilities and eliminate overlaps within the energy sector.
The Presidency said the move is aimed at improving coordination and ensuring clearer delineation of roles across the sector.
