The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has promised to equip homes across Nigeria with between 11 and 15 kilowatts of solar power within 11 months of assuming office if elected president in 2027.
Adebayo made the pledge on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he outlined his plans for tackling Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges.
He said his administration would establish solar-panel manufacturing plants across the country while training Nigerians in the installation, operation and maintenance of solar energy systems.
‘I promise that between 11 to 15 kilowatts of solar power will be put on every roof within 11 months,’ he said.
The SDP candidate said his interest in solar technology was not limited to policy proposals, claiming that he had previously experimented with the technology in his hometown and trained about 2,000 people in the sector.
‘I did an experiment in my hometown. I have about 2,000 people I trained on solar, because I manufacture the solar panels myself. I do lithium battery.
‘The only thing I haven’t got the technological power to do is the inverter. So I buy the inverter. I do the solar battery,’ he said.
Adebayo said Nigeria could partner with countries including China, Turkey and India to establish solar-panel manufacturing facilities, with local workers trained to manage the plants.
According to him, the proposed solar clusters would provide electricity for households while creating employment opportunities and reducing pressure on the national grid.
‘You put all of that in, and you generate employment, and you now generate up to 32,000 megawatts from these clusters that you do. Then you forget about it. I told them that this is the way we are going to manage the national grid.
‘National grid is a backup. In case a cluster fails, you will power from there,’ Adebayo said.
He also proposed greater government participation in strategic sectors of the economy, arguing that the state could invest in critical industries through operating and maintenance arrangements rather than leaving them entirely in the hands of private operators.
On the energy sector, Adebayo said his administration would prioritise domestic crude oil refining and intensify efforts to tackle oil theft, which he identified as major obstacles to energy security and economic growth.
He claimed that up to 900,000 barrels of crude oil were still being stolen, arguing that recovering the lost production would increase supply without imposing additional financial burdens on the government.
Adebayo further argued that public investment in sectors such as electricity and education could serve a dual purpose by improving essential services while creating employment for Nigerians.
He said workers employed in such sectors would earn incomes, thereby contributing to economic activity and improving household purchasing power.