KEY POINTS
- REA secures a $700,000 ECOWAS grant to electrify 15 rural health and education facilities using solar PV systems.
- Collaboration with Niger State ensures state-level support, co-financing, and monitoring for effective project delivery.
- The initiative is part of the ROGEAP pilot, promoting energy reliability, reducing diesel dependency, and advancing Nigeria’s clean energy transition.
The Rural Electrification Agency, REA, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP).
The agreement secures a $700,000 grant to electrify 15 public health and education facilities across Nigeria using solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The initiative focuses on expanding off-grid electricity solutions to critical institutions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, and Nasarawa states.
Following the REA-ECOWAS MoU, the agency entered into a separate agreement with the Niger State Government to facilitate collaboration and co-financing for selected project sites.
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago affirmed the state’s commitment to providing counterpart support, noting that the solar installations align with the administration’s sustainable infrastructure goals under the ‘New Niger’ agenda.
Regional Pilot Phase Under ROGEAP
The ECOWAS grant marks the pilot implementation phase of ROGEAP in Nigeria, a regional initiative supported by the World Bank to expand off-grid electricity access across West Africa and the Sahel. REA will serve as the technical and financial implementing agency, with a dedicated Project Implementation Unit (PIU) coordinating the installations. A Steering Committee will oversee monitoring, institutional alignment, and effective delivery of the pilot.
REA Managing Director Dr Abba Abubakar Aliyu highlighted the partnership’s potential to enhance healthcare delivery, improve learning conditions, and strengthen community development. ECOWAS Commission President Dr Omar Alieu Touray described the project as a cornerstone of the regional strategy to eliminate energy poverty, providing sustainable solar solutions to schools and clinics.
Beyond infrastructure deployment, the project is expected to improve energy reliability in rural public facilities, reduce reliance on diesel generators, cut operational costs, and accelerate Nigeria’s clean energy adoption in line with national energy transition objectives.
The dual-layered partnership,regional and subnational, is designed to ensure efficient implementation and long-term sustainability.
