The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has announced the launch of a $750 million rural electricity project next month, financed by the World Bank, to provide power to 17.5 million Nigerians.
Engr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, Managing Director of REA, revealed the details during an interview on Channels Television. The project, named the Distributed Renewable Energy Scale-up, will use renewable energy to reach its target and is one of the largest rural electrification efforts in the world.
Engr. Aliyu explained that of the 17.5 million people set to benefit, 3 million will gain access through isolated mini-grids, 1.5 million via interconnected mini-grids, and the remainder through matched grid systems and standalone solar power.
“There is a new project that we are starting next month called the Distributed Renewable Energy Scale-up project, which is a $750 million project financed by the World Bank. The target of that project is to electrify 17.5 million Nigerians,” Aliyu said. He also emphasized the scale of the initiative, comparing it to global efforts like India’s rural electrification.
The project is expected to span five years, building on the successes of previous initiatives, including a $550 million effort funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
