The presidency’s planned N10 billion expenditure on solar power installation at the State House, Abuja, has elicited scathing criticism from Nigerians on social media.

Daily Sun reports that N10 billion was allocated in the 2025 Appropriation Act for installing a solar mini-grid at the Presidential Villa, following increased energy bills and unreliable electricity supply from the national grid.

Listed as “Solarisation of the Villa with Solar Mini Grid”, the new capital item caused an increase in overall budgetary allocation to the State House Headquarters from N47.11bn in the initially proposed 2025 budget to N57.11bn in the approved version.

The project is expected to reduce dependence on the national grid and cut energy costs for the State House, especially considering that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) listed the Presidential Villa among top government debtors, with an outstanding bill of N923.87 million in February 2024.

However, many Nigerians on the X social media platform have berated the presidency for spending billions on solar energy solutions while the citizenry grapple with increased energy costs and epileptic power supply from the national grid.

Spokesperson of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Ife Salako said, “FG don go buy solar. Na mumu dey wait for national grid.”

Medical doctor, Dr. Olawale Ogunlana said, “The leaders who promised us constant electricity and to restore our national grid are currently installing solar panels. Nigeria is such a wonderful place.”

@DuruchibuzorE wrote, “This N10 billion ‘solar mini-grid’ project at the Presidential Villa is not innovation; it’s a white elephant designed to drain public coffers with a solar smile.

“How do you justify spending ?10 billion on powering one building when the national grid is in cardiac arrest?”

Writer, David Onyemaizu wrote, “This current administration knows exactly what they are doing. They took themselves off the failed National Grid & are set to install solar power that would gulp 10 billion naira.

“Nothing concern them with band A or Z. Comfort for the government, misery for the masses.”

@CuteNaija wrote, “I never thought I would see a Nigerian president giving up on power totally, cut away from the national grid, and install solar panels worth billions in his government house.

“You always think you have seen the worst example of bad governance, but they always up the ante!” (Daily Sun)