The Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, has reiterated the commitment of the agency to tackle electrification challenges in Nigeria.

He said under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the country for the first time, is witnessing the implementation of the biggest publicly funded renewable projects in the world.

Abubakar Aliyu stated this when he received the delegation from the National Judicial Institute (NJI) led by the administrator, Honourable Justice Babatunde Adejumo (rtd), at the agency’s headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the $750 million project will catalyse $1.1 billion in private sector funding to deploy 1,350 mini grids out of which 250 are going to be terminated mini grids.

He also added that the agency through the Energising Education Program, has completed 18 projects across some higher institutions of learning across the country.

“For the first time, we are witnessing the implementation of the biggest publicly funded renewable project in the entire world. A $750 million project that will catalyse 1.1 billion private sector funding to deploy 1,350 mini grids, of which 250 of them are going to be terminated mini grids.

“We are witnessing the implementation of the Energising Education Program, where as at today, we have completed 15 projects.

“We have deployed 12 megawatt energy power in the University of Maiduguri, the teaching hospital, and now we are building distribution networks for power, even the water treatment plant.

“We have deployed to the Federal University, Yobe, Federal University of Agriculture, in Ondo, in Akure, in Nasarawa, in Lafia, in Kogi, in Imo, Owerri, in Ebonyi, in Port Harcourt, in Uyo, in Calabar, we have done 15. And as we’ve completed the 15, another round of 8 more are being project developed. O

“bafemi Awolowo University, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and the Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Benin, Federal University Wukari in Taraba and the Federal University of Dutse, in Jigawa State.

“This is the quantum of infrastructure that is being deployed across the country to address the electricity access challenge.

“Beyond that, Mr. President approved N100 billion for the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative. The federal government is fully committed to address electricity challenge in the country. Where for the first time in the history of the continent, not Nigeria, over 1,000 mini-grids have been developed across the country.

“For the first time in the history of the country, over 50 interconnected mini-grids have been developed that will inject over 200 megawatts of electricity into the national grid,” the REA boss stated.

The NJI administrator, in his earlier remarks, said the main problem bedeviling Nigeria is lack of electricity saying no nation can achieve if the power is not stable.

He said, “Problem of Nigeria number one is power, the emission and all the rest. We need ecosystem and we need green revolution. All these cannot be achieved if there’s no light. Even the vulcaniser needs light. The barber, the hairdresser, the tailor. They need power.

“In many civilised countries, what percentage are civil servants? Not much. It’s private sector-driven economy that makes a country to be okay. Go to China, go to India in the room they produce they go to their office and automate the engine like the bottle producing raw materials. Light is stable that’s not here but we’re getting there.”

He challenged other agencies to emulate what REA is doing to develop the economy.

He said REA’s mandate include access to electricity, promotion of renewable energy or promotion of partnership with the private sector, investors and all the rest including economic growth.

He however sought collaboration with the agency to make available renewable energy to power the Institute.

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