I agree with your first point. Like you pointed out though, the fact that the role was passive makes it different from this case. The Techpoint quote (assuming it’s an accurate representation of what actually happened) said:
After a little snooping around, I found that “Mainland Power” refers to the 8.8MW Mainland Independent Power Project that Fashola commissioned in October '14. Apparently, it powers LUTH, CCB, LSEB, and other “public utilities” like street lights “covering a stretch of 20 kilometres from the Old Secretariat, the Ikeja Flyover, Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Agege Motor Road, Ikorodu Road, Jibowu to Maryland, Palm Avenue in Mushin and Ikeja GRA.”
Is it a great idea to classify all the buildings within a defined geographical radius as “public utility”? Dunno.