Aso Rock To Exit National Grid By March 2026 — Perm Sec

The Presidential Villa in Abuja is set to disengage completely from the national electricity grid by March 2026, as the Federal Government concluded arrangements to transition the complex to an independent solar power system.

The State House Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, disclosed this on Wednesday while defending the 2026 budget proposal of the State House before the Senate Committee on Special Duties at the National Assembly.

According to details of the session made available to State House correspondents, the solar installation at the Villa was completed toward the end of 2025 and has remained under technical evaluation since December.

Fashedemi expressed confidence that the testing phase would soon give way to a full migration from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), enabling the seat of government to operate independently of the national grid.

“We are hopeful that by March we will be able to effect a full cutover,” he told lawmakers, stressing that the shift is expected to significantly reduce the cost of running the Presidential Villa.

The Permanent Secretary cited the experience of the State House Medical Centre as evidence of the project’s sustainability. He explained that since installing its own solar infrastructure in May 2025, the facility has not relied on generator power.

“In fact, since May last year, the generator at the Medical Centre has not been switched on for one minute,” he said, adding that only about three per cent of its energy needs were briefly supplemented from AEDC in the early months of the transition. The remainder, he noted, has been supplied entirely by solar panels supported by battery storage.

The Federal Government had earmarked N10 billion in the 2025 budget for the solar mini-grid project at the Villa, a move that generated public debate at the time.

An additional N7 billion has now been proposed in the 2026 Appropriation Bill to consolidate the project.

Prior to the solar transition, the State House had accumulated substantial electricity debts.

In February 2024, AEDC listed the Villa among its highest government debtors, placing the outstanding liability at N923.87 million. Following reconciliation, the amount was reviewed downward to N342.35 million, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed to be paid immediately.

Fashedemi further revealed that the ongoing testing phase had uncovered instances of overbilling by AEDC, including charges for electricity allegedly not supplied.

He said discussions were underway to reconcile what he described as “legacy liabilities.”

The Permanent Secretary added that the successful transition would eliminate the need to replace ageing generators installed when the Villa was originally constructed. While a few units may be retained for emergency backup, he expressed optimism that the solar infrastructure would adequately power the complex.