Written by
Ishioma Appiah-Yeboah
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has resigned from office, paving the way for his governorship ambition in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a resignation letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and dated April 22, 2026, Adelabu said his exit will take effect from April 30.
He also used the opportunity to propose the creation of a new role a Coordinating Minister for Energy to drive stronger collaboration across Nigeria’s power, gas, and related sectors.
According to the Minister, while significant progress has been made in the power sector, sustained growth will require a central authority to harmonise policies and ensure effective implementation.
Confirming the development, his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications, Bolaji Tunji, said Adelabu expressed gratitude to the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his tenure as a privilege.
Adelabu explained that his resignation is in line with the amended electoral law, which bars serving political office holders from contesting elections.
During his time in office, he highlighted key achievements, including the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023, increased power generation to over 6,000 megawatts, and improvements in transmission and distribution.
He also noted progress in metering, revenue growth, and efforts to reposition the sector financially.
However, the outgoing Minister acknowledged lingering challenges such as gas supply constraints, vandalism, and infrastructure gaps.
To address these, he recommended reforms including cost-reflective tariffs with targeted subsidies, recapitalisation of distribution companies, and accelerated metering nationwide.
Adelabu emphasised that establishing a Coordinating Minister for Energy would be critical to improving synergy across sectors and accelerating Nigeria’s energy transition.
He assured that he will ensure a smooth handover process before leaving office at the end of April.