The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) says it deployed more than 200 mini-grids across underserved communities nationwide in 2025, marking a major step in efforts to close Nigeria’s electricity access gap.
The deployments were carried out under the Nigeria Electrification Project between January and December, REA Managing Director Abba Abubakar Aliyu said at a Kano media briefing.
Aliyu said the completion of the NEP represents a significant milestone in improving the reliability of electricity supply.
What he said
The REA managing director said the agency recorded notable progress in renewable energy deployment in 2025, driven by both ongoing and newly approved projects.
He disclosed that the President approved the $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, which aims to deploy 1,350 mini-grids to provide electricity to about 17.5 million Nigerians nationwide.
“We are currently building over 900 mini grids across the country; our target is to build 1,350,” he said
Beyond mini-grid deployment, Abubakar-Aliyu said REA deepened collaboration with subnational governments by engaging 21 states through state-by-state roundtable meetings, an initiative he described as unprecedented.
According to him, the engagements provided states with data, partnership frameworks and updates on ongoing electrification projects, helping to align federal and state electrification efforts.
The agency also completed a nationwide electrification mapping exercise, identifying more than 150,000 communities without electricity or with unreliable supply, to support the adoption of least-cost electrification solutions.
Abubakar-Aliyu also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring a sustainable power supply for rural and underserved communities
What you should know
In February, Abba Aliyu unveiled the agency’s plan to provide electricity to 25 million Nigerians within the next three years.
“The present government wants me to face this challenge [of providing electricity to underserved Nigerians] head-on. That is why the target we set for ourselves is to electrify 25 million Nigerians in the next three years as quickly as possible,” he said.
Breaking down the electrification strategy, Aliyu explained that different solutions would be deployed based on regional and infrastructural needs:
- 30 million Nigerians will receive electricity via isolated mini-grids.
- 1.5 million Nigerians will be connected through interconnected mini-grids.
- 12 million Nigerians will benefit from mesh grids and standalone home systems.
This diversified approach is expected to accelerate electrification efforts while ensuring sustainability and efficiency.
In March, REA received approval to establish a renewable asset management company to sustain its electrification interventions and ensure long-term infrastructure viability.
