At Just 39, Ramat to Lead Nigeria’s Power Regulation—Tinubu’s Surprise Pick

In a strategic move to revamp Nigeria’s troubled electricity sector, President Bola Tinubu has nominated 39-year-old Abdullahi Ramat as the new Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The announcement came via a statement released on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, which also named two new commissioners for the regulatory body: Abubakar Yusuf as Commissioner for Consumer Affairs and Fouad Olayinka Animashun as Commissioner for Finance and Management Services.

All three nominations are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

To avoid a leadership vacuum, President Tinubu directed that Ramat assume office in an acting capacity pending his Senate confirmation, in accordance with legal provisions.

Ramat, an accomplished electrical engineer and administrator, holds a PhD in Strategic Management—an academic feat that, combined with his technical background, underscores the administration’s intent to inject youthful vigor and modern thinking into Nigeria’s power sector.

President Tinubu charged the nominees to bring their expertise and innovative thinking to bear, emphasizing that their performance would be pivotal to the administration’s bold vision for transforming the electricity sector, long plagued by inefficiencies and underperformance.