By JKNewsMedia
SEVERING TIES with the national grid has moved closer for the Aso Presidential Villa in Abuja, with work on its solar power initiative reaching the final stage and full transition targeted for March 2026.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that Temitope Fashedemi, State House Permanent Secretary, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the 2026 budget proposal to the Senate Committee on Special Duties at the country’s National Assembly.
According to details shared with journalists by the Presidency, Fashedemi explained that installation of the Villa’s solar mini grid was concluded late in 2025 and has been undergoing technical trials since December.
He also expressed confidence that a full transition to the new power system would be achieved within the first quarter of the year and noted that the shift is expected to significantly reduce government spending on electricity.
To demonstrate the project’s effectiveness, he cited the State House Medical Centre, which switched to solar power in May 2025.
Since then, he said, the facility has operated almost entirely off grid without relying on generators and has drawn only minimal supply from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
He also added that the centre has depended largely on solar energy supported by battery storage and described the outcome as proof that the broader Aso Villa project is viable.
Fashedemi disclosed that the Federal Government earmarked N10 billion in the 2025 budget for the solarisation of the Villa with solar mini grid whilst the 2026 Appropriation Bill proposes an additional N7 billion to complete the initiative.
Government officials, defending the decision noted that the Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria DG/ECN), Mustapha Abdullahi, had previously argued that maintaining the Villa on conventional power was financially unsustainable, citing an estimated annual electricity bill of N47 billion.
Also, Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, pointed to the United States of America’s White House adoption of renewable energy as precedent.
Before the solar rollout, the State House had reportedly faced mounting electricity debts noting that in February 2024, AEDC named the Villa among major government debtors, placing its outstanding bill at N923.87 million.
Following reconciliation, the amount was reviewed down to N342.35 million, which Bola Tinubu subsequently directed to be paid.
Fashedemi further revealed that tests conducted during the solar project uncovered cases of alleged overbilling by AEDC, including charges for electricity not supplied.
He said discussions were ongoing to reconcile what he described as legacy liabilities.
With the anticipated cutover, the Villa’s ageing generators installed when the complex was built may soon become redundant.
The State House Permanent Secretary also noted that although service providers had advised their replacement due to wear and tear, the success of the solar system could eliminate the need for such expenditure, aside from retaining a few units for emergency backup.
Meanwhile, Kaka Lawan, Chairman of the committee, took issue with the N127 million budgeted for sport utility vehicles in the State House proposal and described it as insufficient.
He argued that the allocation would not cover the cost of even a single bulletproof vehicle and warned against scenarios where visiting dignitaries would be conveyed in fairly used cars.
The committee directed the Budget Office of the Federation to revisit the figure and make appropriate adjustments.
He however, praised the State House for promptly appearing before the committee to defend its estimates and said the action set a commendable example for other ministries, departments and agencies.
