The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has announced that about eight million Nigerians have been provided with access to electricity through the Nigeria Electrification Project.
Speaking in an interview with Punch, Aliyu noted that out of the estimated 90 million Nigerians who lack power supply, eight million have been lifted out of energy poverty.
He credited the achievement to the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to bridge the country’s huge energy deficit.
Aliyu said the agency has already surpassed its initial targets and is now working on expanding access to an additional 17.5 million people within the next three years.
“There are reports that many Nigerians don’t have access to electricity. But under the Nigeria Electrification Project, we have provided electricity to eight million Nigerians. We also have a programme that is targeting 17.5 million people. So, in three years, 17.5 million people will also be out of darkness,” he assured.
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Nigeria’s chronic electricity shortages have long been a major challenge, with the World Bank and other reports estimating that over 90 million people, particularly in rural areas, live without reliable electricity.
To address this, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, recently reaffirmed that the government is accelerating efforts to boost power generation and diversify energy sources.
The REA, according to Aliyu, has focused on mini-grid solutions for off-grid communities.
He disclosed that six out of 42 planned interconnected mini-grids have already been completed in Osun, Plateau, Cross River, and Niger States.
The agency has also successfully electrified eight universities with solar power systems and signed agreements to extend the initiative to several others, including the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, and Obafemi Awolowo University.
Aliyu emphasized that the projects are largely private-sector driven, with government capital grants serving as incentives to ensure sustainability.
“We are moving away from the traditional concept of government issuing contracts. What we are doing is incentivising the private sector to deploy infrastructure. This ensures sustainability because they have their own money at stake,” he explained.
The REA boss also pointed to growing international support, citing a $190 million co-financing agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which will provide electricity to an additional 1.83 million Nigerians.
He further revealed that Nigeria’s solar assembly capacity has grown significantly—from 120 megawatts before the Tinubu administration to over 600 megawatts today—with projections to reach close to three gigawatts soon.
Aliyu concluded by stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to eliminating electricity poverty.
“For the first time, Nigeria has a structured means of addressing this challenge, and the results are already visible,” he said.
Image Credit: Punch Newspapers
