Aso Rock Goes Solar as Tinubu Orders National Grid Disconnection

Aso Rock Goes Solar as Tinubu Orders National Grid Disconnection

President Bola Tinubu will fully disconnect the Aso Rock Presidential Villa from the national grid by March 2026 following allegations of electricity overbilling for power not supplied, the State House has confirmed.

The State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, made the disclosure while defending the 2026 State House budget before the Senate Committee on Special Duties. He revealed that the solar mini-grid project at the Presidential Villa was completed in December 2025 and is currently undergoing technical testing ahead of a full transition to solar power.

Fashedemi explained that during the testing phase of the new solar installation, officials discovered what he described as significant overbilling by the electricity distribution company. According to him, the State House observed instances where it was billed for electricity that was not supplied and has begun reconciliation discussions to address what he termed “legacy liability.”

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The Villa is serviced by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), which in February 2024 publicly listed several government agencies as debtors. At the time, AEDC said the Presidential Villa owed N923.87 million in unpaid electricity bills. Other major debtors included the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and some federal ministries.

The Tinubu administration had earlier allocated N10 billion in the 2025 budget for the solarisation of the Presidential Villa through a solar mini-grid system. An additional N7 billion has been earmarked for the same project in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, bringing total allocations to N17 billion over two years.

Fashedemi noted that a similar transition to solar power at the State House Medical Centre in May 2025 has already demonstrated cost savings and reliability. He said the facility has operated almost entirely on solar energy and battery storage since then, with minimal reliance on grid electricity and no generator use.

He expressed optimism that by March 2026, the Presidential Villa would complete its transition and fully exit the national grid, relying primarily on renewable energy for its electricity needs.

The development aligns with broader efforts to promote renewable energy adoption in Nigeria, reduce public sector energy costs, and address concerns over electricity billing transparency. If fully implemented, Aso Villa will operate largely on solar power supported by battery storage systems, significantly reducing dependence on grid supply and diesel generators.

Aso Rock Goes Solar as Tinubu Orders National Grid Disconnection