Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the Tinubu administration has adopted a power sector policy he first proposed more than two decades ago, arguing that the government’s latest position validates his longstanding advocacy for decentralized electricity generation.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Minister of Power’s acknowledgment that Nigeria can no longer depend solely on large, centralized power plants reflects a policy he has championed since 2005.
He criticized the administration for increasing electricity tariffs before implementing structural reforms, arguing that improvements in power generation, transmission, and distribution should have preceded any tariff adjustments.
Recalling his time as vice president, Atiku said he advised former President Olusegun Obasanjo to adopt a diversified energy strategy using hydro, solar, gas, and other energy sources. He added that he declined to chair the Power Sector Reform Committee because he disagreed with its focus on gas-fired electricity generation.
Atiku said he has consistently promoted decentralized electricity generation, including during his presidential campaigns between 2007 and 2023, and pledged that an ADC-led administration would prioritize a diversified energy mix, expanded transmission infrastructure, stronger distribution networks, and greater private sector participation.
“Nigeria does not suffer from a shortage of ideas. It suffers from a shortage of leaders willing to act on the right ideas at the right time,” Atiku said.
