1 week Ago By Faruk Shuaibu
By Faruk Shuaibu The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has signed a $750m (N1.21tr) solar electrification grant with developers in a bid to provide electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians.
The grant, which is under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, is funded by the World Bank and designed to accelerate access to reliable electricity. Speaking during the signing ceremony, yesterday in Abuja, the Managing Director of REA, Abba Aliyu, said the project is the biggest public sector funded renewable project in the world and would deploy 1,350 solar mini grids. He said the aim of the project is to create access and enhance reliability of its intervention in different areas and through the interconnected mini grids sought to enhance the reliability of electricity for the customers that are on Band D and E.
“We also segregated the implementation of the project into two different components. The first component is the deployment of a mini grid, be it isolated mini grid or interconnected mini grid. The second component is the deployment of a solar home system.
The isolated mini grid will create access for communities that are without access in Nigeria. Like I said, today marks a significant day,” Aliyu stated. He disclosed that a total of 82 companies, both national and international, applied for the grant agreement on the project, with nine companies out of the 82 having submitted their sites.
“The total sites that have been submitted to date are 198 sites, which will give us an estimated over 340,000 connections and a total of 47 megawatts of additional clean, reliable electricity that will be added to the total capacity in the country. “The 11 sites that we are signing today are Baobab Plus, Salpha Energy, Asolar, NTA-StarTimes, A4&T, Sunking Greenlight Planet, Bboxx, D.Light and Privida Power Limited.
In his remarks, REA’s Head of the Nigeria Electrification Programme, Olufemi Akinyelure, emphasised the broader impact of the initiative which would ensure every connection made under DARES is more than a number but a doorway to education, healthcare, commerce, and inclusion. Unlock AI's potential! Get top prompts for content, blogs, social media, research, draft proposals and more. Boost creativity start using AI tools today! Click here to learn how it works.
Start Affiliate Marketing Today! Learn step-by-step how to set up a blog, find programs, create links, and earn money—beginner-friendly guide inside! Click here to learn how it works. Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know—from setting up your account to publishing and marketing your books for maximum earnings. Click here to learn how it works.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You..
