By BBC News
ABUJA — A pro-government advocacy group has strongly defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to transition the presidential villa to solar energy, dismissing criticisms from a prominent opposition figure as “uninformed.”
The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) stated on Saturday, reacting to claims made by former senator Dino Melaye, who had argued that the adoption of solar power at Aso Rock indicated the administration had given up on fixing Nigeria’s national electricity grid.
In a joint statement, TMSG Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo argued that the 17 billion naira (£8.8m) solar project was a strategic, cost-cutting measure that would save the taxpayer billions of naira annually.
‘Significant cost savings’
The group pointed to official State House data revealing that annual electricity bills for the presidential complex had previously climbed to 47 billion naira, excluding the massive overhead costs of diesel and generator maintenance.
According to parliamentary budget briefings cited by the group, transitioning to a one-off off-grid solar installation would eliminate the need to replace ageing fossil-fuel power plants at the villa. They noted that the State House clinic had already run entirely on solar power since May 2025.
“If the administration is opting for a solar power project costing 17 billion naira, which is a one-off payment for off-grid power supply, should this not be seen as a cost-cutting measure deserving of praise?” the group asked. They added that the electricity previously consumed by Aso Rock would now be diverted back into the national grid to boost supplies for residential communities across Abuja.
Green energy and grid reforms
The TMSG also rejected accusations that the federal government was abandoning wider national power sector reforms ahead of the next presidential election cycle.
The group highlighted several ongoing initiatives, including:
- Decentralisation: Legislation allowing state governments to generate and distribute their own electricity.
- Infrastructure upgrades: The continued execution of the multi-million dollar Siemens Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) to modernise the national grid.
- Billing reforms: The distribution of millions of smart meters to eliminate predatory estimated billing, alongside the settlement of legacy debts owed to power generation companies.
The volunteers added that the presidency’s solar transition is part of the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, aimed at meeting Nigeria’s international climate commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.
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