Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised plans to energy the Aso Rock Presidential Villa with photo voltaic power, warning that the transfer suggests neglect of Nigeria’s nationwide electrical energy grid.
The remarks have been contained in a press release launched on his X account in response to studies that the Presidential Villa might disconnect from the nationwide grid to rely absolutely on solar energy.
The criticism comes amid persistent energy provide challenges nationwide and renewed debate over authorities’s dedication to fixing the electrical energy system.
Within the assertion, Obi recalled a marketing campaign promise attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who pledged that Nigerians shouldn’t re-elect him if he failed to offer regular electrical energy inside 4 years.
Obi argued that the nationwide grid has continued to carry out poorly for greater than two years into the administration.
Studies about plans to transition the Presidential Villa to photo voltaic power gained consideration following provisions within the 2025 price range allocating about N10 billion for solar energy infrastructure, alongside additional allocations within the 2026 price range for upgrades and upkeep.
The event comes greater than two years into the present administration, throughout which Nigeria has continued to face grid instability, frequent system collapses and restricted technology capability.
Electrical energy provide stays a serious constraint for households and companies, lots of which depend on expensive diesel and petrol mills to complement unreliable grid energy.
Obi stated that whereas renewable power adoption is commendable and mandatory for the longer term, the event displays a deeper governance concern.
Nigeria’s energy sector has confronted repeated instability lately, with a number of grid collapses highlighting the fragility of the nationwide electrical energy system. In 2024 alone, the grid collapsed 9 occasions, making it one of the unstable years for energy provide.
