Tinubu reaffirms commitment to providing affordable, reliable electricity by 2030

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity by 2030.

In a statement on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said Tinubu made the commitment in a speech delivered by Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power, on his behalf at the African Energy summit in Tanzania.

Tinubu, who arrived in Tanzania on Sunday for the 300-energy summit, noted the importance of collective action by African leaders to ensure energy access for their citizens.

The two-day summit, hosted by the government of Tanzania in collaboration with the African Union, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the World Bank Group, saw the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Declaration by 12 African countries.

“Let us work together to create a brighter future for our citizens—where every African can access reliable and affordable energy, a future where our industries thrive, our economies grow, and our people prosper,” the statement reads.

“This is an ambitious goal, but we can achieve it together. As Nigeria’s President, I am committed to making energy access a top priority.”

Tinubu also thanked the AfDB for its $1.1 billion support to electrify five million people by 2026 and the $200 million Nigeria electrification project, which aims to provide electricity to 500,000 people by 2025.

He highlighted that the federal government is in the final stages of developing an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure programme to reduce emissions and promote renewable energy use.

“This initiative will galvanise partnerships and provide affordable EV financing options. The first 100 electric buses are already in use in the country,” Tinubu said.

“We also look forward to the AfDB’s planned $700 million investment in the Nigeria desert to power programme and its $500 million facility for the Nigeria-grid battery energy storage system, which will provide electricity for an additional two million people.”

The president further noted that plans are underway to ensure the success of the World Bank’s $750 million support for expanding Nigeria’s distributed energy access through mini-grids and standalone solar systems, which will provide power to 16.2 million people.

“As we all know, Africa is rich in energy resources, yet millions of our citizens still lack access to reliable and affordable energy. This situation is unacceptable. It is our responsibility to take collective action to change this narrative,” he added.

At the summit, Nigeria presented its national energy compact, aimed at expanding power generation, investing in transmission and distribution infrastructure at competitive costs, achieving financially viable utilities, and incentivising private sector participation to unlock additional resources.

According to the document, Nigeria will require an investment of $23.2 billion for last-mile electrification, including contributions from both public and private sectors.

The Dar es Salaam declaration aims to provide electricity for 300 million people in Africa by 2030, through national energy compacts that address constraints in each country’s energy sector and set specific targets.

Nigeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia signed the agreement.