• Super Admin
• 06 Mar, 2026

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is stepping up action to meet electricity need of Nigerian communities specifically targeting unserved population of the country. The steps are being taken as Nigeria is said to require an estimated $23 billion to bridge electricity gaps in underserved and unserved communities nationwide. The Managing Director of the REA, Abba Aliyu, shared the information in Abuja during the switch-on ceremony of Phase 1 of the Greening of the UN House solar project. According to Aliyu, a comprehensive nationwide mapping exercise by the Agency identified approximately 143,000 communities at varying levels of electricity access. While some are fully electrified, many remain underserved, and a significant number have no access at all. The mapping, cuts across Nigeria's demographic spectrum from sprawling urban centres with over 2.5 million households in Lagos State to remote settlements with as few as two households. By layering technical data with cost analysis, the REA concluded that $23 billion represents the least-cost pathway to strengthening supply in underserved areas and connecting those without power. Aliyu described the funding requirement not as an abstract figure but as a clear signal of the work ahead if Nigeria is to achieve universal electricity access while pursuing a cleaner energy future. The United Nations' Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, described the solarisation of the complex as both symbolic and strategic. He said the installation, a 400-kilowatt peak solar photovoltaic microgrid expandable to 700 kilowatts, supported by 650 kilowatt-hours of lithium-ion battery storage -- would cut electricity costs by about 40 per cent annually. Before the solar upgrade, electricity costs at the UN House ranged between N432 million and N540 million annually. With the new system operational, annual savings are projected between N173 million and N216 million, alongside a reduction of nearly 1 million kilowatt-hours in grid electricity consumption each year and an estimated 300 tonnes cut in carbon emissions. Recently, Aliyu, said the Federal Government had launched the most comprehensive electricity access programme in Nigeria's history. Aliyu disclosed that the government was currently implementing what he described as the world's largest publicly funded renewable energy electrification initiative. According to him, the programme involves a $750 million investment that is expected to attract an additional $1.1 billion in private sector funding. The initiative, he said, will support the deployment of about 1,350 mini-grids across the country, including 250 interconnected systems designed to supply electricity to underserved communities. Aliyu explained that the Agency had also made significant progress under the Energising Education Programme (EEP), which provides solar-powered electricity infrastructure to universities and teaching hospitals. He said the REA had already completed power projects in 15 universities across the country, including installations that supply electricity to campuses, hospitals and water treatment facilities. In addition, he revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved N100 billion for the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, which targets government institutions struggling with electricity access or high energy costs. Source: http://orientalnewsng.com/rea-actions-electrification-of-nigerian-communities-as-23bn-is-estimated-to-meet-demand/