By Kingsley Benson
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Abba Aliyu, has disclosed that the agency is implementing programmes aimed at providing electricity access to no fewer than 17.5 million Nigerians.
Mr. Aliyu stated this during an interview in Abuja recently, following the agency’s 2025 Customer Service Week celebration held in collaboration with SERVICOM.
He said that the agency has already deployed several mini-grids and other renewable energy systems across rural and underserved communities as part of efforts to bridge the country’s energy access gap.
“We are working on a programme to provide electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians. That’s an audacious target. Under the Rural Electrification Fund, we have deployed over 50 mini-grids, while the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme has seen 11 more deployed,” Mr. Aliyu said.
“From our records, we have impacted over 10 million Nigerians, and we are counting more based on new programmes being designed and implemented,” he added.
According to him, these achievements were recorded under the Nigeria Electrification Programme, with the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme – only three years old -already delivering multiple completed projects nationwide.
Mr. Aliyu said that the Customer Service Week provided the agency with an opportunity for self-assessment and accountability, especially as it works to expand access to electricity for over 80 million Nigerians still lacking reliable power.
“This week helps us reflect and ask critical questions – are we providing quality service? Are we timely? Are our services affordable? We are proud of the progress made so far, which aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s drive to expand electricity access,” he said.
Citing a success story, the REA boss recounted how a community in Balanga, Gombe State, which had been without power for more than 30 years, is now on the path to electrification through a collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to provide 620 kilowatts of power for its 11,000-hectare wheat farms.
REA’s Executive Director of Technical Services, Mr. Umar Umar, said that the agency had made unprecedented progress in the past year, deploying the highest mini-grid capacity in its history.
“For the first time, we are delivering 40 megawatts of mini-grid power in a single budget year. We are also installing solar home systems, solar streetlights, and electric vehicle charging points, impacting millions of unserved Nigerians,” Mr. Umar said.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Fund, Doris Ubo, revealed that between 2016 and 2022, the agency executed about 50 mini-grid projects but has now scaled up to over 124 mini-grids nationwide.
“Recently, we launched a project targeting 3,700 communities, expected to add 370 megawatts of clean energy to the national mix and impact over 40 million people,” she added.
REA’s Executive Director of Corporate Services, Mr. Ayo Adegboyega, reaffirmed the agency’s core mandate to extend power to unserved and underserved communities, noting that the Energising Education Programme (EEP) continues to deliver power to universities and polytechnics nationwide.
“We’ve completed power projects at the University of Benin, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, and University of Calabar, and are extending to Obafemi Awolowo University and several polytechnics,” Mr. Adegboyega said.
The Acting Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, and REA SERVICOM Nodal Officer, Mr. Eworo Echeng, commended the agency’s staff for their dedication to improving the quality of life in rural communities through sustainable power solutions.
“As an intervention agency, our responsibility goes beyond providing electricity – it’s about improving lives and livelihoods,” he said.
