A spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, has defended the federal government's plan to install a solar mini-grid at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. She stated that taking the seat of power off the national grid will leave more electricity available for ordinary Nigerians.
Speaking during an appearance on Naija Info FM in Lagos, Asekun-Shittu explained that President Bola Tinubu opted for the switch to reduce the government's high spending on electricity. She noted that tapping into Nigeria's abundant sunlight is a practical way to manage energy resources while public power supply remains unstable.
According to Punch, the State House set aside ₦10bn for the initiative in the approved 2025 budget. The allocation was listed under capital expenditure as "Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid," which contributed to raising the State House Headquarters capital budget from an initial ₦33.55bn proposal to ₦43.55bn.
Addressing criticism that the administration is turning to alternative power instead of fixing the public grid as promised, Asekun-Shittu argued that the transmission network is heavily strained by a surging population. She pointed out that the same grid infrastructure once serving roughly 70 million people is now stretched to cater to an estimated 250 million citizens.
She stressed that running the Villa on solar energy should not be viewed negatively, as reducing the complex's massive demand on the central system directly benefits the public by freeing up megawatts that can be distributed elsewhere across the country.
