REA, Others to Provide Plateau Community with Solar Mini-grid
Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
Residents of the Namu community in the Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State have expressed excitement as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) led state and non-state actors to commission a 50-kilowatt solar mini-grid in line with Nigeria’s expanding clean-energy programme.
The project, implemented via partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Cloud Energy, Plateau State Energy Corporation, and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) forms part of an initiative aimed at transforming under-served communities through sustainable power solutions.
In his remarks, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of REA, Abba Aliyu explained that Africa Mini-grid Programme (AMP) of REA is a flagship initiative to support access to clean energy and enhance financial viability, promoting large-scale commercial investment in renewable energy in Africa.
He said that the Namu project reflects President Bola Tinubu’s directive to accelerate rural electrification through renewable solutions, and announced that the Federal Government has approved a $750 million initiative under the World Bank supported distributed access to renewable energy scale-up project.
Performing the commissioning, Governor Caleb Mutfwang declared that the project symbolises “the beginning of a new journey toward transforming rural economies and empowering local communities.”
He noted that stable and clean electricity remains central to his administration’s strategy for improving agro-allied production, stimulating local enterprises, and expanding the rural economy.
UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, commended the robust collaboration which she said will empower the community, noting that sustainable energy remains a key driver of economic resilience, climate-action goals, and local peace-building.
