Tinubu Appoints Babalola as Power Adviser, Sets Up Taskforce for Sector Reset

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.

The appointment, announced in a State House press statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on Thursday, signals a renewed push by the administration to address longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s electricity sector.

Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is expected to leverage his experience to drive reforms aimed at improving efficiency and performance across the electricity value chain.

As part of the restructuring, the President also redesignated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas), a move intended to streamline responsibilities and eliminate overlaps within the energy governance framework.

According to the statement, the newly created Presidential Taskforce will operate under a direct mandate from the President, focusing on restoring discipline, efficiency, and commercial viability in the power sector.

The Taskforce is expected to implement a comprehensive reform agenda, including enforcing a “performance before expansion” framework, reducing technical and commercial losses, improving revenue generation, and strengthening tariff discipline.

It will also work to enhance liquidity in the sector, improve coordination among government agencies, promote productive energy use, and develop Electricity Growth Zones, alongside delivering a 90-day implementation roadmap.

President Tinubu said the initiative aligns with his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is aimed at delivering measurable improvements in power supply nationwide.

NEC Adopts 112 as National Emergency Number

In a related development, the National Economic Council has approved the adoption of 112 as Nigeria’s unified national emergency number.

The move is expected to harmonise emergency response systems across federal, state, and local levels, providing citizens with a single, coordinated channel for accessing emergency services.

FEC Approves Reconstruction of Carter Bridge

Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council has approved the demolition and reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos following structural concerns identified in previous assessments.

The decision is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen critical infrastructure and ensure public safety in the country’s commercial hub.