The Federal Government has cited a humongous N47bn annual electricity bill as the reason for the approved installation of solar panels at the Aso Rock Villa.
Defending the approval by President Bola Tinubu, the Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, insisted that it is unsustainable for the government to continue paying about N47bn yearly for power bills.
Recall that in 2024, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), in an advertorial titled ‘Notice of disconnection,’ said the presidential villa owed an electricity bill of N923.87 million.
The Disco also issued a 10-day notice to the presidential villa and 86 government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to pay the N47.1 billion electricity debt they owe or risk disconnection.
However, while briefing the press on Friday, Mustapha explained that the switch to solar energy in Aso Rock was in line with President Tinubu’s agenda to diversify energy sources and also cut the cost of governance.
He added that the development would provide uninterrupted, clean energy, create jobs, foster innovation among Nigerian engineers and energy experts, and ultimately reduce pressure on the national grid.