The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe has declared that the projects being embarked on by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is measurably changing the lives of Nigerians across the country.

Delivering the keynote address at the official commissioning of a landmark 505kWp interconnected solar mini-grid project in the Eredo community of Epe, Lagos State, Tegbe hailed the leadership of the agency noting that the Agency has, in recent years, undergone a remarkable transformation.

“The REA has in recent years, undergone a remarkable transformation, a body of admirable mandate but modest delivery, into an institution that is genuinely, visibly, measurably changing lives across Nigeria. Community by community, kilowatt by kilowatt, life by life. Dr. Abba Aliyu, your Agency, your team, and your developers deserve the gratitude of the nation,” Tegbe said.

The project, delivered under the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS), is a direct product of the Electricity Act 2023, which has decentralized electricity governance and opened the doors wide for private sector investments.

The Minister further highlighted REA’s national footprint, noting that over 1,000 mini-grids are currently under active development across the country.

He also pointed to the massive success of the World Bank-supported DARES initiative, which has already pushed solar home systems to nearly 3.9 million Nigerians.

Speaking at the event, REA Managing Director/CEO Dr. Abba Aliyu emphasized that electricity is the ultimate catalyst for commercial competitiveness, job creation, and industrial wealth.

He revealed that the REA is already laying the groundwork to deploy an additional 5MW of renewable energy capacity within Epe and its surrounding economic clusters to power agro-processing, cold-chain infrastructure, and local markets.

The project brings together a powerful mix of stakeholders, including the Federal Government, the European Union (EU), and the German Government (via GIZ/NESP), working alongside private developers to build a commercially viable, subsidy-independent energy model.

In his remarks at the event, Ayo Ademilua, CEO of A4&T Solutions, the project developer reflected on the four-year journey to bring the project to life.

Ademilua also disclosed that A4&T Solutions will be launching electric tricycles tied directly to the mini-grid, a move set to slash local transportation operational expenses (OPEX) by 40%.

He also revealed that the traditional rulers have also granted extra land to scale up the mini-grid’s capacity to 1.5MW in the near future.

Similarly, Rotimi Abiru, representing Senator Tokunbo Abiru, hailed the project as a perfect marriage of visionary leadership and quality representation.

“When we speak of electricity, we are talking about economic growth, job empowerment, and an avenue for the youths in the community to grow their potential,” Abiru stated.