By Agency Report

The Federal Government has declared the estimated N47 billion annual electricity bill of the Presidential Villa unsustainable, confirming plans to disconnect Aso Rock from the national grid and transition to an independent solar power system.


The move follows the completion of a solar mini-grid project approved by the administration of President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to cut energy costs and improve power reliability at the nation's seat of government in Abuja.


Speaking earlier before lawmakers, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Temitope Fashedemi, disclosed that the solar installation was completed towards the end of 2025 and has since been undergoing technical evaluation ahead of full deployment.

•Presidential Villa

“The solar installation at the Villa was completed toward the end of 2025 and has remained under technical evaluation. We are hopeful that by March we will be able to effect a full cutover,” Fashedemi said.


The project received N10 billion in the 2025 budget under the programme titled ‘Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid’. An additional N7 billion was allocated in the 2026 budget, bringing total government funding for the initiative to about N17 billion.


Officials said the transition is designed to significantly reduce the Villa’s energy expenditure while guaranteeing a more stable power supply. The Presidential Villa has traditionally relied on a combination of electricity from the national grid and diesel-powered generators.


The Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Mustapha Abdullahi, said the cost of powering the Villa had become increasingly difficult to justify.


“It is unsustainable for the Aso Rock Villa to continue to pay about N47 billion yearly in power bills,” Abdullahi said, noting that the solar project was conceived to lower costs and diversify energy sources.


Nigeria continues to grapple with persistent electricity supply challenges despite years of reforms in the power sector. Frequent grid collapses and outages have forced households, businesses and public institutions to depend heavily on self-generation.


While supporters of the Aso Rock solar project view it as a strategic investment in renewable energy and energy security, critics argue that the decision underscores a lack of confidence in the country's electricity network.


Princewill Okorie, Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, said the development sends a troubling signal about the state of the national grid.


Large sections of the Presidential Villa, including open spaces and parking areas, have been fitted with solar panels backed by battery storage systems capable of providing uninterrupted electricity supply.


Although backup generators will remain in place, officials expect the Villa’s dependence on diesel-powered generation to decline significantly once the solar system becomes fully operational.


The project is part of the Tinubu administration’s broader push to expand renewable energy adoption, even as millions of Nigerians continue to contend with erratic electricity supply and rising energy costs.


The Presidency has yet to indicate whether similar solar-powered systems will be deployed across other federal government institutions.