Nigeria’s Electricity Access Programme Only Rivaled by India Globally, Says REA MD

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu has revealed that the nation’s current electricity access programme has scaled to become one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects embarked globally.

This is as insights from a panel session at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) where the REA MD participated in highlighted the scale and urgency of Nigeria’s ongoing electricity access drive and the central role of mini-grids in strengthening national energy resilience.

Speaking during the session on “Reliable, Sustainable & Inclusive Power for Africa’s Future,” the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, outlined the progress being recorded under the Federal Government’s electrification agenda and the Agency’s execution pipeline.
Aliyu noted that Nigeria’s electricity access initiative has evolved into one of the largest structured programmes globally, comparable in ambition and scope to leading international efforts such as that of India.

According to him, the REA has moved decisively from policy design to large-scale implementation, with over 1,000 mini-grids currently at various stages of development nationwide, targeting connections for more than 17.5 million Nigerians.

He explained that the deployment strategy spans both isolated mini-grids for completely unserved communities and interconnected mini-grids designed for underserved areas, with integrated battery storage to enhance system reliability and provide backup supply during grid disruptions.
The MD emphasised that mini-grids are increasingly being deployed as resilience infrastructure, powering economic clusters, social services and critical zones, while strengthening the broader national power ecosystem.

Addressing energy access within public institutions, the REA MD highlighted several landmark interventions being delivered through Agency programmes. These include the development of an 8-megawatt floating solar project at the University of Lagos, alongside hybrid power projects at the University of Port Harcourt, University of Maiduguri, Obafemi Awolowo University, and Ahmadu Bello University, among others.

He noted that such deployments are not only expanding access but supporting productivity, education, healthcare delivery and institutional sustainability.