ASO ROCK GOES SOLAR

Aso Rock Goes Solar: FG Says ₦47bn Yearly Power Bill No Longer Sustainable

By : Maria Livinus 

In a bold move to cut costs and embrace cleaner energy, the Nigerian government has kicked off a major shift at the Aso Rock Villa by installing solar panels to power the presidential complex.

The Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdulahi, revealed this during a recent press briefing. According to him, the current ₦47 billion annual electricity bill for the Villa is simply unsustainable — and that’s why President Bola Tinubu approved a ₦10 billion solar grid installation.

“This is not just about saving money,” Abdulahi explained. “It’s about diversifying our energy sources, easing pressure on the national grid, and creating room for innovation and job opportunities.”

The solar initiative is part of the President’s broader agenda to cut down the cost of governance and improve energy sustainability. It also signals Nigeria’s willingness to tap into green energy solutions amid growing concerns about power supply and national grid reliability.

Interestingly, the new solar project comes after a 2024 standoff between Aso Rock and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC). Back then, AEDC threatened to disconnect the presidential villa and over 80 MDAs for owing a combined N47.1 billion in unpaid electricity bills. Aso Rock’s portion of that was initially claimed to be N923.87 million.

However, following a reconciliation of accounts, the actual debt was trimmed to N342 million — and President Tinubu quickly intervened, ordering the immediate settlement to avoid any embarrassing power cuts at the nation's seat of power.

Beyond cost savings, the federal government says the solar upgrade has caught the attention of development partners, who have now earmarked a whopping $5.3 billion in investments to support Nigeria’s power sector, especially for grid expansion.

This marks a major step toward energy reform and could serve as a model for other government institutions across the country. The message is clear: Nigeria is ready to power up—smarter, greener, and more sustainably.