By James Amadi
In a decision that’s as audacious as it is perplexing, Nigeria’s Federal Government has opted to install a 10 billion Naira solar power setup at Aso Rock Villa to help cut its share of the government’s 47 billion Naira cumulative debt for a number of government ministries, departments and agencies for an unspecified period. Mustapha Abdulahi, the head of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, called the cost of powering the presidential palace “unsustainable,” a choice greenlit by President Bola Tinubu himself.
However, this same government seems oblivious to the struggles of everyday Nigerians, who are wrestling with ballooning electricity tariffs and a power supply as dependable as a paper umbrella in a storm. The double standard is so glaring it could probably power the national grid, if only we had one that actually worked.
Let’s unpack this with the kind of honesty Nigerians deserve but rarely get from their leaders. The government, unable to swallow its own electricity costs, has turned to a solar solution that’s as polished as the promises Tinubu made during his 2023 campaign. Back then, he vowed round-the-clock power for all Nigerians, a vision Enugu state governor, Peter Mbah, later called a “long-awaited opportunity” after the Electricity Act was signed in June 2023. Today, only those at the Villa are enjoying that vision, while the rest of us are stuck paying exorbitant rates for darkness.
An increase in electricity tariffs for the highest consumers by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) from 68 Naira to 225 Naira per kilowatt-hour in 2024 has added pressure to Nigerians already struggling financially. Nigerians now face tariffs that demand top-tier payments for a service that’s more fantasy than reality.
As a concerned Nigerian put it, “So you can not pay that amount but you want citizens to pay through their nose to use Band A light?” The frustration resonates across the country. As someone expressed on their X account, “The people are suffering and dying of starvation… instead of attending to the suffering of the people, Tinubu’s government is seemingly concerned about their comforts in the ASO Villa.”
This is not just a policy misstep, it is a lesson in irony. The government’s reasoning, as reported by Tribune Online, is that even the US White House uses solar power. But here is the catch: the White House is not asking Americans to pay triple for electricity while it enjoys its renewable perks. In Nigeria, the same leaders who can not cope with the spike in power bills are telling citizens to tough it out. It is like a chef who insists on feeding his customers seconds while he refuses to taste the dish.
The numbers paint a bleak picture. A 2023 ScienceDirect study points to Nigeria’s energy woes as a mess of corruption, crumbling infrastructure, and funding gaps. The country has plenty of renewable energy potential, such as solar, wind, hydro, but deep-rooted problems keep it out of reach for most.
While Aso Villa gets its 10 billion Naira solar setup, rural communities remain in the dark, due to the economic challenges associated with extending traditional power lines to those communities. A 2019 AFSIA report estimated that Africa requires $29–39 billion annually until 2025 to achieve energy access goals, with rural areas needing significant investment in off-grid solutions like solar mini-grids.
A decentralised approach could light up villages with small-scale renewable units. Instead, the government focuses on its own compound, leaving Nigerians wondering if the “renewed hope” agenda is just a fancy way of saying self-interest.
Let us zoom out for a moment. The World Bank has long urged Nigeria to cut subsidies to shore up public finances, but the rollout has been a disaster for the average person. Inflation, which hit 24.23 % in March, has made basic necessities unaffordable, and the tariff hike only adds fuel to the fire. Nigerians are paying more for less; less power, less hope, and less faith in a government that seems to be on a completely different wavelength.
One commentator’s grim statement that “Nigeria will never get steady power supply” is a perfect expression of the nightmare of living under a government that puts its own comfort over its people’s survival.
Another pundit hits the nail on the head. “Unsustainable for FG to pay bills, so it sought alternative for itself. But when the same policy is unsustainable for its citizens, they are asked to be patient.” Patience, apparently, is a virtue the government expects only from its people.
Here is a thought. If solar power works for Aso Villa, why not for the rest of Nigeria? The country’s renewable energy potential is huge, but the political will to tap into it for the masses is as scarce as a steady power supply. Instead of setting an example, maybe by rolling out decentralised solar projects across the country, the government has chosen to shield itself from the very crisis it is asking citizens to endure. It is a bit like the captain of a sinking ship building himself a private lifeboat while telling the passengers to keep bailing water with their hands.
It is time for President Tinubu, to change the current. If Aso Villa can go solar, so can Nigeria. Invest in the people, not just the palace. Because right now, the only thing being charged up is the resentment of a nation tired of being left in the dark.
