Nigeria shifts power sector focus from megawatts to community electrification

Nigeria's Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced that the success of the nation's power sector will henceforth be measured by the number of communities and people connected to electricity, rather than by megawatts generated. Speaking during the inauguration of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Governing Board in Abuja, Tegbe emphasized that the agency's mandate is to expand economic opportunity and human capital through electrification.

“We are moving from just counting kilowatts and megawatts to how many communities and people were powered in the country,” Tegbe stated. He noted that electrifying schools, healthcare centers, farms, and markets through mini-grids and solar home systems serves as an investment in national prosperity and economic inclusion.

The newly inaugurated seven-member board is chaired by former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose. Other members include Ahmadu Abubakar, Ilyasu Makinta, Managing Director Abba Aliyu, and three executive directors. Fayose pledged to mobilize resources to address grassroots power challenges, aligning with the implementation of the Electricity Act and broader reforms within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.