President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Rilwan Lanre Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman, Presidential Taskforce on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The appointment, which was announced on Thursday in a State House press statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, is a renewed drive by the administration to solve the long-standing difficulties in Nigeria’s energy industry.
Babalola, a former Minister of Power, is anticipated to bring his experience to bear in driving reforms that would enhance efficiency and performance across the electrical value chain.
The President also re-designated the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) to Special Adviser (Oil & Gas) as part of the restructuring. This was to streamline responsibilities and remove overlaps in the energy governance framework.
The announcement said that the newly constituted Presidential Taskforce would operate under a direct mandate of the President and would focus on restoring discipline, efficiency and commercial viability in the power sector.
The Taskforce is anticipated to deliver a comprehensive reform agenda including the enforcement of a “performance before expansion” framework, reduction of technical and commercial losses, improvement in revenue generation and strengthening of tariff discipline.
It will also aim to improve liquidity in the sector, boost coordination among government agencies, promote productive energy use and build Electricity Growth Zones, as well as present a 90-day implementation roadmap.
The President said the program, in line with his Renewed Hope Agenda, was aimed at achieving tangible progress in power supply across the country.
112 Chosen by NEC as National Emergency Number
The National Economic Council has approved the use of 112 as the unified national emergency number for the country.
The move is anticipated to bring emergency response systems at the federal, state, and municipal levels into alignment and give citizens one unified avenue to access emergency services.
FEC Approves Carter Bridge Reconstruction
On the other hand, the Federal Executive Council has approved the demolition and restoration of the Carter Bridge in Lagos over structural issues raised in prior assessments.
The move is part of ongoing measures to bolster key infrastructure and to safeguard public safety in the country’s business capital.
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