The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has noted that Nigerians may no longer have to depend entirely on the national grid for electricity if he wins the 2027 election.
Adebayo promised to install between 11 and 15 kilowatts of solar power on every Nigerian roof within 11 months of taking office.
SDP candidate made the pledge on Tuesday while speaking on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.
He argued that Nigeria had spent too much time and money trying to expand conventional electricity infrastructure, especially in rural areas, instead of embracing decentralized power solutions.
According to him, the country should focus on producing solar panels locally and training Nigerians to install and maintain them.
Adebayo recalled that he had made a similar recommendation during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001.
“In 2001, the Obasanjo administration invited me, and I advised them to enter into an agreement with China or India, set up a factory to make solar panels, and train people to install them,” he said.
The presidential candidate also criticized the use of expensive 33 kVA lines for rural electrification, saying rooftop solar systems would provide a more practical alternative.
He said the funding needed for such a project could be generated from resources already available at the local government level.
“Every Local Government Area has money that they steal every month to capitalize on this,” Adebayo said.
He maintained that a shift towards locally produced solar energy would reduce dependence on the national grid while creating jobs for Nigerians.
