By Chika Okeke
The Rural Electrification Agency, REA, has stepped up plans to provide affordable renewable energy for more than 700,000 communities nationwide, with plans to serve about 45 per cent through solar home systems, 31 per cent through mini-grids and the remaining 24 per cent through grid extension.
This was even as the Agency developed one of Africa’s most extensive geospatial electricity databases, covering more than 51,000 health facilities, 11,000 markets, thousands of schools, factories, dams, electricity feeders and existing mini-grids to support investment planning.
The Managing Director of REA, Engr. Abba Aliyu, who stated this during a benchmarking visit by officials of the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority, ZURA, hinted that the agency’s interventions also targeted underserved communities to receive less than six hours of electricity daily.
Aliyu informed that electricity demand would continue to rise as Nigeria’s population grows, more sectors become electrified and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data centres consume the available power.
To this end, he revealed that REA will establish 3.7 gigawatts of local solar photovoltaic- panel manufacturing capacity by the end of 2027, as part of plans to expand electricity access and reduce dependence on imported renewable energy equipment.
He noted that REA has pleaded with Chinese solar manufacturers to establish production facilities in Nigeria, adding that locally assembled solar panels are already exported from Lagos to neighbouring Ghana.
Aliyu disclosed that the planned manufacturing expansion will significantly reduce imports while strengthening Nigeria’s renewable energy value chain.
He likened the rapid global growth of renewable energy to falling prices of solar panels and lithium batteries, adding that technological innovation made off-grid electricity the most cost-effective solution for millions of underserved communities.
The MD said that electricity access rate in Nigeria currently stands at 61.2 per cent, leaving about 80 million people without reliable power supply.
To bridge the gap, he maintained that the Agency has adopted a least-cost electrification strategy that determines the most suitable technology for each community rather than relying solely on national grid expansion.
