Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party's presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, has proposed establishing thousands of decentralised electricity systems to address Nigeria's power crisis. In his book, Farewell to Poverty and Insecurity, Adebayo outlined a two-track approach involving the expansion and modernisation of the national grid alongside the rapid development of mini-grids, embedded generation, and stand-alone power systems. This approach aims to provide reliable electricity to underserved communities.
Adebayo's proposed National Distributed Electricity Initiative encourages states, local governments, communities, cooperatives, farms, schools, hospitals, markets, and businesses to develop electricity systems suited to their local needs. The initiative will utilise various energy sources, including solar, small hydro, wind, biomass, natural gas, and hybrid systems. This approach will help reduce pressure on the national grid and transmission losses. Adebayo aims to develop tens of thousands of such systems within four years.
The proposed initiative will provide dedicated power arrangements for industrial parks, manufacturing clusters, agro-processing centres, technology parks, hospitals, and universities. These facilities will be served through embedded generation, captive plants, and independent power projects. This will ensure a reliable and efficient power supply to these critical infrastructure.
To support the development of decentralised electricity systems, Adebayo proposes establishing a Bank of Electricity. This financing institution will provide long-term, single-digit financing for mini-grids, embedded generation, and the local manufacture of electricity equipment. The bank will support the production of transformers, meters, cables, solar panels, batteries, inverters, and other electricity equipment.
Adebayo also emphasises the importance of manpower development in the electricity sector. He proposes transforming the National Power Training Institute into a broader electricity and renewable-energy training network for engineers, technicians, artisans, and other sector participants. This will ensure that the necessary skills are available to support the development and maintenance of decentralised electricity systems.
The decentralised electricity proposal is not intended to replace the national grid but to complement continued investment in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. The strategy will also involve improved metering, reduced technical and commercial losses, and better grid management. This will ensure that the power supply is efficient and reliable.
Adebayo's proposal also focuses on electricity billing and consumer protection. He proposes stronger consumer protection, accurate metering, and enforceable service standards, including the principle that consumers should not be charged for electricity that is not supplied. This will ensure that consumers receive a fair and reliable power supply.
Key points
- Adebayo proposes establishing a Bank of Electricity to provide financing for decentralised electricity systems.
- The proposed National Distributed Electricity Initiative aims to develop tens of thousands of decentralised electricity systems within four years.
- Adebayo's strategy involves a two-track approach, including the expansion and modernisation of the national grid and the rapid development of mini-grids, embedded generation, and stand-alone power systems.
