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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as Minister of Power and appointed former minister, Mr Rilwan Lanre Babalola, as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of a newly created Presidential Task Force on Power Sector Reset and Restoration.
The twin decisions, announced in separate State House press releases signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, signal a coordinated push by the administration to overhaul Nigeria’s electricity sector.
According to the presidency, Tegbe’s nomination has been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation “in accordance with the Constitution,” following the resignation of former Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, who “stepped down from office to pursue elective office.”
The statement described Tegbe, an Oyo State indigene, as “a fiscal and economic reform expert with over 35 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors.” It noted that he “is a former Senior Partner and Head of Advisory Services at KPMG Africa, where he led wide-ranging initiatives in fiscal policy reform, institutional transformation, and governance.”
He “has also advised key government institutions and private sector organisations on strategic reforms, regulatory frameworks, and investment structuring,” the 8presidency added.
Tegbe currently serves as Director General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), where he is “responsible for strengthening bilateral development cooperation between Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China,” with the platform also coordinating “engagements with public sector stakeholders to advance economic and social development in line with FOCAC objectives.”
Highlighting his relevance to the power portfolio, the statement said Tegbe’s experience “includes significant engagements within the power sector, particularly in regulatory and institutional reform involving agencies such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET).”
The presidency expressed confidence that “his nomination is expected to strengthen further ongoing efforts to reform the power sector, enhance grid stability, and attract sustainable investment in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” adding that the President expects him, “upon confirmation, to bring his extensive expertise to bear to advance critical reforms and deliver improved outcomes for Nigerians in the power sector.”
In a complementary move, Tinubu appointed Babalola as Special Adviser on Power and Chairman of a high-level Presidential Task Force mandated to drive urgent reforms across the electricity value chain.
The President also approved an administrative restructuring, redesignating the Office of the Special Adviser (Energy) as Special Adviser (Oil & Gas) “to clarify roles and avoid duplication of functions within the energy governance framework.”
Babalola, a former Minister for Power, “brings deep sectoral expertise and a proven understanding of the structural and operational challenges within the electricity value chain,” the statement said, noting that his appointment “underscores the President’s determination to undertake a decisive and results-driven reset of Nigeria’s power sector.”
The Task Force he will chair is to 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.”
Outlining its scope, the presidency said the Task Force will “drive a comprehensive system reset of the electricity sector” and implement a “Performance Before Expansion” framework aimed at stabilising the industry before scaling capacity.
It will also focus on “reducing technical, commercial, and collection losses,” strengthening “cost discipline and tariff integrity,” enhancing “revenue assurance and sector liquidity,” and restoring “grid discipline and market integrity.”
Further mandates include promoting “productive use of power across key sectors,” developing “Electricity Growth Zones,” reducing “fiscal exposure,” and delivering “a 90-day implementation blueprint.”
The President expects Babalola “to bring urgency, discipline, and a strong execution focus to this assignment… to deliver measurable improvements in power supply and sector performance.”
The combined appointments reflect a dual-track strategy by the Tinubu administration—pairing ministerial leadership with a presidential taskforce—to accelerate reforms and address longstanding inefficiencies in Nigeria’s power sector.
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