From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) said it has delivered electricity access to over 10 million Nigerians under the Nigeria Electrification Project adding that 17.5 million others are expected to benefit over the next three years.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mr Abba Aliyu, disclosed this in Abuja while celebrating its customer service week.
“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,” Aliyu said.
According to Aliyu, the REA’s mandate is targeted at closing this energy deficit by providing electricity to 80 million Nigerians in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in communities distant from the national grid.
“It’s a week that helps us to reflect, to also ask ourselves and determine, hold ourselves accountable and determine the level of service that we are giving customers. Rural Electrification Agency’s mandate is to provide electricity access to over 80 million Nigerians. Which means literally we have 80 million customers.
“So this is a week for us to now sit down and ask ourselves, are we providing this service? Are we providing quality service? Are we providing the service in a timely manner? Are we providing services in a way that our customers can afford it? That is why we are doing this. That is why we are reflecting and asking ourselves. And to the best of our ability, we are happy with the level of what we have achieved.
“The number of mini-grids, the number of access that we have created in the country and the audacious programme that we are now implementing. We are working on that one programme to provide electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians. That is audacious. That is one of the key drives of Mr. President in the drive to create electricity access in Nigeria.”
Aliyu said the agency is implementing solar-powered mini-grids and has already electrified eight universities adding that 42 interconnected mini-grids are planned, with six already operational in Osun, Plateau, Cross River, and Niger States.
“We are currently working on deploying 42 interconnected mini-grids, and six have already been completed.
“From our record, we have impacted over 10 million Nigerians and we are counting more based on the new programmes we are designing and implementing,” Aliyu said.
He highlighted that the initiative is private-sector driven, with capital grants used to incentivise operators.
“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 stated.
“We went to a community in Gombe, Balanga, where a community that has not been with electricity for over 30 years. This is a community that has a fertile land, over 11,000 hectares of wheat farming land. We went there with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and we are working now to provide them with 620 kilowatts of electricity.”
“Their feedback to us is their gesture to give a traditional title to me as the representative of Rural Electrification Agency. This to me is one of the greatest feedback that we keep on receiving from our customers.”
In his remarks, Executive Director, Technical Services, Umar Umar noted that the REA currently has over 160 megawatts of solar capacity deployed, electrifying 1,650 communities, powering 1,000 healthcare centres, and reaching over six million Nigerians.
“Rural electrification is not just a power challenge, it’s a development imperative. It impacts education, health, agriculture, security, and economic productivity,” he said.
In her contribution, the Executive Director of Rural Electrification Fund, Doris Ubo said the agency has executed a number of projects including a total of 124 mini-grids to date.
“We also did some solar home systems, because we believe even the last-mile communities should not be left out of getting access to power. With all that, we recently developed a project, which is a scale from what we have done before, to do 3,700 communities, which will infuse 370 megawatts of clean energy into our energy mix. And we will impact on so many lives.
“From our research, over 40 million people stand to benefit in the entire country. So we’re doing wonderfully well.”
The Executive Director Corporate Services, Ayoade Gboyega disclosed that projects are being executed under the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, with agreements signed to power universities including the University of Lagos, University of Benin, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, and University of Nigeria Nsukka.
“And we are not leaving out the polytechnics also. As part of one of the initiatives that we have, which is the solarization project, we are also energising some of these polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.”
The acting director, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the agency, Dr. Eworo Echeng said REA is living up to its responsibilities as an intervention agency of government to provide electricity to Nigerians in the rural communities.
“So part of our responsibility is to ensure that not only provision of electricity to the communities but to ensure quality delivery services. And those who put their lives on the line for rural communities to have electricity deserved to be celebrated and appreciated.
Dr. Eworo, who doubles as the REA Servicom Nodal/Focus Officer expressed his delight at the achievements of the agency and its service delivery to the people.
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