2027: Adebayo proposes thousands of mini-grids to tackle power crisis
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has proposed thousands of decentralised electricity systems to address Nigeria’s persistent power crisis.
Outlined in his book, Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity, the proposal combines expansion and modernisation of the national grid with rapid development of mini-grids, embedded generation and stand-alone systems.
Under the proposed National Distributed Electricity Initiative, states, local governments, communities, cooperatives, farms, schools, hospitals, markets and businesses would develop systems suited to their needs. Potential energy sources include solar, small hydro, wind, biomass, natural gas and hybrid systems, with tens of thousands planned within four years.
The initiative would extend reliable electricity to underserved communities, ease pressure on the national grid and reduce transmission losses. It would also provide dedicated power for industrial parks, manufacturing clusters, agro-processing centres, technology parks, hospitals and universities through embedded generation, captive plants and independent power projects.
Adebayo proposed a Bank of Electricity to offer long-term, single-digit financing for mini-grids, embedded generation and local production of transformers, meters, cables, solar panels, batteries, inverters and other equipment.
He also recommended transforming the National Power Training Institute into a broader electricity and renewable-energy training network for engineers, technicians and artisans.
According to Adebayo, the national grid would remain central, with continued investment in generation, transmission and distribution, improved metering, reduced technical and commercial losses and better grid management.
On billing, Adebayo proposed stronger consumer protection, accurate metering and enforceable service standards, including a policy barring charges for electricity not supplied.
