KEY POINTS
- REA deployed over 200 mini grids across underserved communities in 2025
- A $750 million renewable energy programme targets 1,350 mini grid projects nationwide
- Electrification mapping identified more than 150,000 communities with poor or no power supply
Nigeria’s 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 narrow the country’s electricity access gap.
The deployments were carried out under the Nigeria Electrification Project between January and December, according to the agency’s Managing Director, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, who spoke at a media briefing in Kano.
Aliyu said the completion of the electrification project strengthened the reliability of power supply in rural and peri urban communities while supporting small businesses, health centres and schools that previously relied on expensive alternatives.
Renewable Energy Expansion Plans
The REA chief said renewable energy deployment accelerated during the year through a mix of ongoing projects and newly approved initiatives. He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu approved a $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale Up project, known as DARES, designed to roll out 1,350 mini grids nationwide.
Aliyu said more than 900 mini grids are already under construction across different states, with the remaining projects scheduled for deployment as funding and partnerships are finalised. The programme is expected to provide electricity access to about 17.5 million Nigerians.
