The Presidency has defended its plan to spend N10 billion on a solar mini-grid at the Presidential Villa, citing the example of the United States White House, which has adopted similar energy practices.
In a post on his verified X account on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser (Information and Strategy) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described the initiative as a global best practice.
According to him, the United States also makes use of solar energy at the country’s White House in Washington, D.C.
Posting a video of the solar installation at the White House in the United States, he captioned, “The White House in Washington, D.C. uses solar power.”
The defence comes after public scrutiny trailed the recent increase in the State House budget, which included a fresh allocation for the solar project.
According to the approved 2025 budget, N10 billion was earmarked for the project titled “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid.”
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The allocation formed the bulk of a N10 billion rise in the capital expenditure of the State House Headquarters, which increased from N33.55 billion in the proposed 2025 budget to N43.55 billion in the approved version.
This pushed the total budgetary provision for the State House from N47.11 billion to N57.11 billion.
The initiative is part of efforts to address unreliable electricity supply and the growing cost of power across the country.
The solar project is expected to reduce reliance on the national grid and cushion the impact of electricity tariff increases on government spending.
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