REA signs grant agreements with nine firms to expand electricity access

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has signed grant agreements with nine renewable energy companies to expand electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians.

The companies are Privida Power Limited, Baobab Plus, Salpha Energy, Asolar, NTA-StarTimes, A4&T Power Solutions, Sunking Greenlight Planet, Bboxx, and D.Light.

According to NAN, the signing ceremony, which took place on Monday in Abuja, marks the first under the World Bank-funded distributed access through renewable energy scale-up (DARES) project, launched in 2024.

“This initiative also contributes to the broader Mission 300, a global effort to deliver energy access to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, as Nigeria advances toward achieving universal electricity access,” REA said.

Speaking at the event, Abba Aliyu, managing director (MD) of REA, said the project aims to deploy 1,350 mini-grids to enhance the reliability of electricity supply to Band D and E customers, while also expanding access to underserved communities.

Aliyu said the project is structured into two components — deployment of mini-grids (both isolated and interconnected) and deployment of solar home systems.

The managing director said 198 sites had already been submitted under the project, projecting an estimated 340,000 new connections and the addition of 47 megawatts of clean, reliable electricity to the national grid.

“The 11 sites we are signing with Privida Power Limited alone will add over 2.5 megawatts of reliable energy, resulting in an additional 11,000 connections,” Aliyu said.

“Meanwhile, eight companies will deploy 1.6 million solar home systems across rural areas.”

He said the intervention demonstrates REA’s commitment to scaling up access to electricity under President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

“The issue of 18 million Nigerians without access to electricity will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to interventions like DARES and other REA projects,” the MD said.

“Today’s signing is not just a contract; it is a commitment to communities long underserved by conventional infrastructure.”

Also speaking, Olufemi Akinyelure, head of the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP), said each new connection under DARES represents a step toward education, healthcare, commerce, and social inclusion.

“The over 11,027 new connections to be delivered under this project symbolise lives transformed, futures energised, and a Nigeria that leaves no one behind,” Akinyelure added.

‘RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS CRUCIAL FOR PROVIDING RELIABLE ELECTRICITY’

Akinyelure said the partnership serves as a blueprint for achieving Nigeria’s national energy access goals.

The NEP boss said DARES, a key initiative under NEP, was structured to catalyse the off-grid energy market through targeted grant support for mini-grid and standalone solar projects.

“These renewable energy solutions are crucial for providing reliable and affordable electricity to off-grid communities, unlocking their potential for social and economic advancement,” he said.

Under the performance-based grant sub-component for isolated mini-grids, Privida Power Limited secured a grant to deploy solar mini-grids across 11 communities in Kogi state, delivering over 11,027 new connections.

Also, the eight other companies will roll out tier-1 and tier-2 plug-and-play solar solutions for households and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across rural Nigeria under the standalone solar systems (SAS) component.

Speaking on behalf of the companies, William Akalume, group chief executive officer of Privida Power, reaffirmed the companies’ commitment to the success of the project.

Akalume also commended REA for its efforts in improving the lives of Nigerians.