The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, has defended the Federal Government’s plan to power the Presidential Villa with solar energy, saying it will free up more electricity for Nigerians.
Asekun-Shittu said President Bola Tinubu’s decision to move the Villa away from the national grid would reduce pressure on the country’s electricity supply.
She spoke during an interview on Naija Info FM, Lagos, on Friday, arguing that the national grid was struggling to meet the needs of Nigeria’s growing population.
According to her, switching the Presidential Villa to solar power would allow more electricity to be available to the public.
“Since we have free sun in Nigeria, I think that he should be for that because that leaves more power for the people,” she said.
The defence follows public criticism of the project, particularly over its cost amid persistent power shortages across the country.
The State House allocated ₦10bn in the 2025 approved budget for the solar mini-grid project, titled “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid.” The allocation also contributed to an increase in the State House Headquarters’ budget from ₦47.11bn to ₦57.11bn.
The Federal Government also earmarked another ₦7bn for the project in the 2026 budget proposal.
State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, said in February 2026 that the installation had been completed towards the end of 2025 and was undergoing technical evaluation ahead of a full transition from the national grid.
Asekun-Shittu maintained that the move would help reduce the Villa’s dependence on public electricity and make more power available to Nigerians.
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