Abuja: The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is driving rural transformation in 2026 with ₦170 billion for 500 projects aimed at boosting electricity access and uplifting rural communities nationwide.
Managing Director of the agency, Dr Abba Aliyu, made this known while addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the 2026 budget defence session organised by the House Committee on Rural Electrification in Abuja on Friday.
He said the total budget for 2026 operations is N170 billion, of which N100 billion has been approved for National Public Sector Solarisation.
The managing director said the N100 billion targets the provision of hybrid mini-grids for government agencies within and outside Abuja.
“At the National Hospital in Abuja, our infrastructure aims to provide reliable electricity, which is expected to lower energy expenses and support improved healthcare delivery.
“In the 2026 budget, we have a plan for over 500 different projects; a number of them are extensions of the grid for communities that are very close to the grid, where we extend the grid, and deploy transformers to power the communities.
“We also have a reasonable number of mini-grids for communities that are agrarian in nature or have cottage industries,” he said.
Aliyu said that the agency had also planned for mini-grids in an agricultural processing area in the 2026 budget.
“We also have plans for the deployment of solar home systems for sparsely populated communities. What we presented to the National Assembly are the details of these 500 projects that are to be executed,” he said.
Accounting for the 2024 budget, Aliyu said the agency achieved 85 per cent of the budget performance.
He said that the agency had so far achieved 32 per cent of the 2025 budget despite low fund releases during the fiscal year.
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Mohammed Bukar (APC-Borno), said the committee thoroughly deliberated and scrutinised, and expressed satisfaction with the explanations and documentation the agency provided.
He said that measurable progress had been made in expanding energy access through off-grid and renewable energy interventions across rural communities, federal institutions and public sector establishments nationwide.
The lawmaker acknowledged the agency’s compliance with applicable procurement laws, fiduciary safeguards and development partner frameworks governing its operations.
He, however, said the committee would conduct oversight visits for on-the-spot assessments, in line with constitutional requirements.
“Legislative oversight is a critical pillar of accountability, and we will continue to ensure that the Rural Electrification Agency remains aligned with its statutory mandate and national development prioriHe continued, “However, at this stage, we are satisfied that the agency is operating within its mandate and delivering tangible impact.”
He encouraged, “We encourage the agency to sustain this momentum, as Nigeria advances its rural electrification and energy transition objectives.”
