The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has revealed that the agency is currently implementing programmes designed to provide electricity access to no fewer than 17.5 million Nigerians.
Aliyu disclosed this in Abuja during an interview with PUNCH Online on Wednesday, as part of activities marking the agency’s 2025 Customer Service Week, held in collaboration with SERVICOM.
According to him, the REA has built an impressive network of mini-grids nationwide and continues to execute several ambitious projects to expand electricity access in rural and underserved communities.
“We are working on a programme to provide electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians. That is an audacious target,” Aliyu said. “Under the Rural Electrification Fund, we have deployed over 50 mini-grids, and under the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme, we have deployed 11 mini-grids. This does not include transformers, power lines, and solar home systems.”
Aliyu added that more than 10 million Nigerians have already benefited from various projects under the Nigeria Electrification Programme in the past five years.
“The Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme is only three years old, yet we have completed and commissioned several projects,” he said.
Speaking on the importance of Customer Service Week, Aliyu explained that the event provides an avenue for reflection, self-assessment, and accountability.
“Our mandate is to provide electricity access to over 80 million Nigerians who currently lack reliable power. This week helps us evaluate whether our services are quality-driven, timely, and affordable,” he stated.
Aliyu cited an example of a rural community in Balanga, Gombe State, which had been without power for over 30 years but is now set to receive 620 kilowatts of electricity through a collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
REA’s Executive Director of Technical Services, Umar Umar, also highlighted the agency’s achievements since its inception in 2007.
“In the last year alone, we have deployed more mini-grids than ever before, delivering 40 megawatts of mini-grid power — the highest in a single budget year. We’re also installing solar home systems, solar streetlights, and electric vehicle charging points,” he said.
Similarly, the Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Fund, Doris Ubo, said the agency has scaled up from 50 mini-grids executed between 2016 and 2022 to over 124 nationwide.
“Recently, we launched a project targeting 3,700 communities, expected to add 370 megawatts of clean energy and impact more than 40 million people,” Ubo added.
REA’s Executive Director of Corporate Services, Ayo Adegboyega, reaffirmed the agency’s focus on bridging the energy access gap by extending power to unserved and underserved communities. He also mentioned the Energising Education Programme, which provides power to universities and polytechnics across the country, including the University of Benin, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, and University of Calabar.
The Acting Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Eworo Echeng, lauded REA’s impact in rural development, stressing that the agency’s mission goes beyond electrification.
“Every project we execute must improve lives and livelihoods. Our goal is to ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of location or status, has access to reliable power,” Echeng said.