The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has raised an alarm that Nigeria has the highest number of people without access to electricity globally, with an estimated 90 million citizens still in darkness.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Aliyu described the figure as disturbing but insisted that the federal government, in partnership with the private sector, was working aggressively to bridge the energy gap.
“Nigeria has the highest number of people without access to electricity, and this is the first time that I am seeing a government dealing with it. In the world, apart from India, there is no government that has devised a structure to get people out of the electricity poverty like we are doing now,” he said.
Aliyu explained that despite the grim statistics, progress had been made, with more than 70 million Nigerians now connected to electricity through various programmes under the REA.
Asked if he agreed with the figure of 90 million Nigerians living in electricity poverty, he replied: “No, I am not contesting that. I am saying that we are addressing that number. Under the REA, we have provided electricity to 70 million people, and I can give you the data.
“We have just one programme that is targeting 17.5 million. By three years, 17.5 million will be out. The president’s visit to Japan will also provide electricity to another 1,830,000 Nigerians. We are working on the E-Heart project that will target 16 million, but we do not have the financing yet.”
The REA boss said the agency’s model was different from the past, focusing on incentivising the private sector to invest in viable infrastructure rather than relying solely on government contracts.
“We built the structure around the private sector. The minister of power is a finance guy, so we deployed a commercially viable infrastructure. The private sector has its own money deployed plus our capital, which means they have the responsibility of ensuring the infrastructure works over time to recover their investments,” he said.
Mini-Grids and Renewable Energy Projects
Aliyu highlighted success stories such as mini-grids at Alex Ekwueme University and the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, which have been running for more than five years, as well as a 20,000-kilowatt solar and hydro project in Balanga, Gombe State, which is supporting local wheat farmers.
He also disclosed ongoing efforts to expand renewable energy generation through solar, biomass, and wind, noting that solar remained the most cost-effective option.
According to him, a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with the Nigerian Wind Council to explore large-scale wind energy.
To ensure sustainability, Aliyu said the agency was developing a renewable asset management framework that would allow failed or underperforming projects to be refurbished and reintegrated into the national energy ecosystem.
“We are designing the framework to make sure projects do not die out. Failed projects can be refurbished and reintroduced into the energy ecosystem,” he explained.
The REA chief assured Nigerians that the agency would release verifiable data to back up its achievements and maintain transparency.
Aliyu added that the strategy was aimed at providing lasting and reliable electricity, particularly to rural and underserved communities.
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