More than 85 million Nigerians, representing about 40 per cent of the country’s population, still do not have reliable access to grid electricity, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has said.
Aliyu disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the signing of a Joint Development Agreement between the REA and Ecotech Development Nigeria Limited for the establishment of a solar panel and battery assembly and manufacturing facility in Nigeria.
He described the electricity access gap as one of the country’s most pressing development challenges, stressing the need to accelerate investments in renewable energy infrastructure to provide sustainable power solutions for underserved communities.
According to him, the proposed manufacturing facility is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s local renewable energy value chain, reduce dependence on imported solar components and batteries, create jobs, and support the Federal Government’s drive to expand access to affordable and reliable electricity.
The REA boss said the partnership reflects the agency’s commitment to deploying clean energy solutions that will bridge the nation’s electricity deficit while promoting industrial growth and economic development.
The agreement is part of ongoing efforts to boost local production capacity in the renewable energy sector and improve electricity access, particularly in rural and off-grid communities across the country.
