“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership,” Harvey S. Firestone famously noted. This is the exact fuel driving Engr. Jennifer Adighije and her team. With an unwavering commitment to the growth of her subordinates, her leadership has been instrumental to the execution of this project, and her impact cannot be overstated.

Claims and actions are like opposite poles of a magnet they repel each other. While many loudly claim to represent the political spirit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT), Eng. Bello Babayo belongs to that rare breed of leaders who let their actions do the talking.

The pioneering vision of the BAT-Ideological Group is to scientifically raise men and women who will champion the President’s political ideology. However, long before this vision became formalized, certain individuals were already hardwired to run with it. Eng. Bello Babayo, the Executive Director (Networks) at the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), is one of those men. Every strategic move he makes is quietly but effectively securing the foundation for the President’s 2027 reelection.

Our journey to restore electricity to Rigasa was initially rough and met with bureaucratic hurdles. But everything changed the moment we met Eng. Babayo. He didn’t just accept the project; he sprinted with it.

During our initial discussion, when we assured him that delivering Kaduna to the President in the next election is entirely achievable with the right grassroots impact, his passion ignited. He took the project far beyond our expectations. The project kicked off with an initial scoping exercise, this preliminary review concluded that the project’s needs were minimal, suggesting that a single transformer would suffice.

Following this logic, the initial plan proposed a shortcut: removing the existing Regasa line from its current feeder and shifting it entirely onto a 33kV line (popularly referred to locally as Band A). Under this assessment, the necessity of a dedicated injection substation was completely dismissed.

However, a deeper look at the technical demands of the area revealed a completely different reality. Our internal team strongly disagreed with the field officer’s superficial findings. The data made it clear that there was absolutely no viable way to successfully execute this project and stabilize the network without constructing a proper injection substation. Relying on a single transformer and a simple feeder transfer would only mask the underlying capacity issues, rather than solving them. Recognizing the high stakes and the gridlock caused by these conflicting reports, Eng. Bello Babayo personally sponsored a rigorous re-assessment.

Financed entirely through personal funds to ensure zero bureaucratic delay, another person was directly dispatched to the site. The mandate was clear and urgent: conduct an exhaustive, independent re-scoping of the entire project site and deliver definitive clarity within a strict 24-to-48-hour window.

The person completed the comprehensive re-scoping within the requested timeframe. This rapid, high-level field validation effectively corrected the flawed assumptions of the initial field report.

Have in mind that this community has been suffering for the electricity issues for more than 15 years and struggled for more than 5 years finding solution to the problem, even during Buhari tenure, but to no success. This particular issues caused our party valuable votes and protest in 2023, but this is not the case anymore, the people are now happy and willing to mobilize the whole state to vote for Tinubu

Eng. Bello Babayo represents the true essence of the Tinubu administration, standing in stark contrast to opportunistic, self-proclaimed loyalists. If this project had fallen into the hands of others, they would have simply bought a single transformer, posed for a photoshoot next to it, and plastered campaign posters all over it for cheap political point.

Instead, Eng. Babayo aligns perfectly with President Tinubu’s core vision: ensuring no Nigerian goes to bed without electricity and completely eradicating community problems rather than papering over the cracks. Thanks to his dedication, the Rigasa power project is now in its final stage of execution.

There is strength in numbers. If even half of the political appointees in this country carried the same spirit as Eng. Bello Babayo, this administration would be swimming in a pool of praises, and there will be little to no public outcry and negate news about this administration, Nigeria would be far more developed today.

Eng. Babayo rightly pointed out to us that for the first time, Nigeria is being led by a true, pure civilian democrat. President Tinubu cannot be compared to past leaders who transitioned from military dictatorships, nor to leaders like Yar’Adua, who were packaged into power by the establishment or the leader who emerged by mere chance. Tinubu is a deliberate leader, and he deserves deliberate partners.

While the federal government is clearing 4 trillion-naira gas legacy debt, investing in new electricity infrastructure, overhauling the old ones and state too taking the advantage of the electricity decentralization to engage in their own electricity project, the remaining underserved communities will be handled by BAT-IG, we are positioned.

As BAT-IG, our mission remains clear: to identify underserved communities, listen to their needs, and escalate them to the right quarters. When we informed Eng. Babayo about 300 other communities that have approached us for help, his response was immediate and decisive: “Bring them as well.”

Thanks to president Tinubu for appointing a team of dedicated and excellent appointee. With leaders like Engr. Jennifer Adighije and Eng. Bello Babayo on the ground, President Tinubu can rest assured that the blind spots he cannot personally see are being covered by a worthy, capable ally. We pray for their continued rise up the ladder of success, and it is our earnest hope to see his technocratic excellence rewarded as the Minister of Power one day.

Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting and political social worker.