Aso Rock's Electricity Bill hit ₦47bn yearly, as FG turns to Solar Power News

By Olawale Lamina

Nigeria’s seat of power also known as Aso Rock has embraced sustainable energy solution through the use of solar energy in a cost saving approach towards attaining and improved performance in the conduct of day to day activities.

Earlier, the Federal Government had announced plans to install a ₦10 billion solar power grid at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, following the huge electricity bill of ₦47 billion which the government considered unsustainable.

At a press briefing on Friday, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi,said that the decision received the nod of President Bola Tinubu both as a way of cas part of reducing the cost of governance, promote cleaner and the deployment of sustainable energy.

DG Abdullahi said: “It is unsustainable for the Aso Rock Villa to continue to pay about ₦47 billion yearly in power bills.

“This is why Mr. President approved the deployment of a solar power grid within the Villa.”

According to him, the decision is in tandem with the President’s broader agenda not only to diversify the country’s energy sources, encourage local innovation, but reduce reliance on the overstretched national grid.

He stressed that the measure will not only result in uninterrupted and clean energy supply to the seat of power but will also stimulate job creation and foster innovation among engineers and local energy experts.He argued that the administration’s priority for promoting energy innovation is already paying off.Abdullahi noted that development partners have continued to express growing interest, with $5.3 billion at stake in potential investments in the nation’s power sector, particularly in grid expansion projects.