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AHMAD SALIHIJO AHMAD, managing director/chief executive, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), plan to electrify the rural areas, communities, school campuses, among other places with a view

Ki ndly talk us through your programmes and policies in REA and their implementation to achieve set targets and objectives.

The Agency’s mandate is the provision of electricity in unserved and underserved communities across the country to catalyze economic growth and improve quality of life for Nigerians. REA is currently implementing the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), Energizing Economies Initiative (EEI), Energizing Education Programme (EEP), Rural Electrification Fund (REF), Energy Database and Capital projects as well as creating the enabling environment for private sector investment in electrification.

With a broad understanding of the energy needs of different consumer groups in the country, we continue to deliberately design programs to cater to these needs and close the energy gap. To impact local economies, we have the Energizing Economies Initiative designed to support the rapid deployment of offgrid electricity solutions to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity to economic clusters (e.g market places, shopping centres, industrial areas).

To adequately cater to the energy needs of unserved and underserved communities across the nation, the Agency secured funding from the World Bank ($350m) and the African Development Bank (AFDB) ($200m). The objective of the NEP is to deploy solar hybrid mini grids to serve over 2 million Nigerians and over 10,000 SMES as well as deploy solar home systems to 1.5 million households.

We understand how pivotal electricity access in institutions of learning and hospitals is. Under the NEP, we have the Energizing Education Programme (EEP), a Federal Government programme designed to improve educational outcomes through the deployment of clean, safe and reliable energy to 37 Federal universities and 2 affiliated teaching hospitals.

The Federal Government is conscious of the need for equitable access to energy. With the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) being implemented by the REA, the objective is to aid equitable access to electricity across Nigeria with grants given to private sector developers using a PPP model.

At the REA, we also implement Capital Projects. These are primarily grid-extension projects the Agency had been traditionally known for. It involves grid extension and injection substation projects and now increasingly, solar mini grids, deployment of solar home systems, installation of solar street lighting across all 6 geopolitical zones.

These impacts are being felt by Nigerians in the area of academic growth, rural development, economic growth as well as health care and agriculture improvement.

The Agency is determined to close the energy gap in the country by deploying electrification projects in our rural communities using different energy sources.

There are about 100 million off-grid Nigerians, and several interventions have been initiated by your agency to give them access to power. Could you speak further on this?

Powering Nigeria is a goal our Agency have continued to approach, one community at a time. The REA is the Implementing Agency of the Federal Government tasked with electrification of rural and unserved communities. These communities are our primary constituents because the electrification of rural communities ultimately energizes the local economies of such communities through the usage of productive use assets by community members.

Achieving REA’S Vision requires a focus on bringing electricity to unserved and underserved communities through a sustainable market. This will entail both direct implementation and coordinating broader electrification effort such as the following:

• Grid Extension (Capital Projects)

The core objective is to provide affordable, easily accessed, safe and efficient electricity supply to the populace especially in rural settlements across the nation.

The projects are broken down into the following categories; solar minigrids, deployment of solar home systems, deployment of solar street lighting, injection substations, and grid extension projects across all 6 geopolitical zones.

• Nigeria Electrification Project

(World Bank and African Development Bank)

The NEP is the largest off-grid electrification programme in Africa. FGN has secured funding for from both the World Bank ($350m) and the African Development Bank (AFDB) ($200m) for three components. The NEP will develop solar hybrid mini grids to serve over 2million people and over 10,000 SMES as well as Deploy solar home systems to 1.5million households and Improve educational outcomes by electrifying Federal Universities and affiliated teaching hospitals as part of the EEP. So far, we have deployed energy infrastructure to off-grid Nigerians in 3 communities: Rokota in Niger State, Akikpelai and Olobiri in Bayelsa State, with more underway.

• Rural Electrification Fund (REF)

The Rural Electrification Fund (REF) is being implemented by the REA for the provision of equitable access to electricity across Nigeria, to maximize economic, social and environmental benefits of rural electrification grants, to promote off-grid electrification and to stimulate innovative approaches to rural electrification. REF projects are administered using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Under the First Call of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), over 19, 000 Solar Home Systems have been deployed to serve Nigerians off-grid, while 12 communities have been energized through solar hybrid minigrids. Following the success of the First Call of the REF projects, the 2nd REF Call is in progress. The Agency is currently engaging interested energy developers to help drive this process and deploy more interventions targeted at off-grid Nigerians.

• Energizing Education Programme (EEP)

The Energizing Education Programm (EEP) aims to power 37 universities and 7 teaching hospitals by providing independent power plants, 10,400 street lights will be installed across campuses in Nigeria for illumination and security, upgrade of existing distribution networks and world class renewables training centre at every university.

• Energizing Economies Initiative (EEI)

The Energizing Economies Initiative (EEI) supports the rapid deployment of off-grid electricity solutions to provide clean and consistent power to economic clusters in Nigeria. Over 300 clusters have been identified for electrification across the country in different phases.

• Gender Mainstreaming

Gender inclusion is a core objective of the REA to promote and drive female participation in electrification initiatives.

• Rural Electricity Users Cooperative Society (REUCS)

The Electricity Users Cooperative Society is an initiative of the REA that is aimed at mobilizing benefiting communities to achieve sustainability of electrification projects.

You have been very determined on facilitating your key programmes such as energizing market and education, could you speak to us on the success of such programs?

As you are aware, education and local economies are two critical sectors that improves per capita productivity and improves national development. As an Agency that believes in the strategic use of off-grid technologies, these are two sectors we currently have programmes for.

The Energizing Economies Initiative (EEI) and Energizing Education Programme (EEP) has enabled the deployment of off-grid solutions to economic clusters and Federal Universities across the country.

So far under the EEI, over 12,000 shops are now receiving clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity supply.

The Pilot Phase of the Energizing Economies Initiative has commissioned the Sura Shopping Complex Independent Power Project in Lagos state powering 1,047 shops, as well as the Ariaria Market Independent Power Project, Aba, Abia State, powering over 4,000 shops and has launched over 6,000 energized shops at Sabon Gari market, Kano State with more connections in the pipeline.

Deployment is currently ongoing in markets under Phase 1 of the EEI. This phase is expected to provide clean, safe and reliable power to 12 markets across Lagos, Kano, Edo, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo.

The REA plans to create an enabling environment where the private sector developer handles all the project delivery steps from inception to conclusion. The Phase 2 rollout plans are currently in view and conversations have begun between the developers and State Governments.

Secondly, the first phase of the Energizing Education Programme (EEP) funded by the Federal Government consists of 9 universities and 1 affiliated teaching hospital. Two projects have been commissioned; a 7.1 MW Solar Hybrid Mini Grid at Bayero University, Kano and 2.8MW Solar Hybrid Mini Grid at Federal University Ndufu-alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State ( FUNAI). In addition, 1.6 Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Delta State, 1.12MW Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi are completed and ready for commissioning while other projects under phase 1 of the EEP are at various stages of completion.

The Programme will provide reliable power supply to over 580,000 students, 80,000 teaching and administrative staff, 1,400 doctors and 5,500 medical professionals. As a result, 860 harmful diesel-fired generators will be decommissioned. Phase 2 and phase 3 of the EEP will be funded by the World Bank and African Development Bank through the Nigeria Electrification Project.

One by one, some major government outfits and private sector companies are ditching the ongrid power for off- grid power. Could you kindly share your thoughts on how REA is steering this development?

The REA through its several programmes and initiatives provide the enabling environment for private developments to catalyze off-grid energy development and attract investments.

The Agency creates an enabling environment for private sector-led projects, which includes conducting prefeasibility assessments, energy audits, enumeration, data analysis, identification of qualified private sector developers, and project stakeholder engagements.

Apart from the implementing role being played by the REA, our activities and programmes also helps encourage industry collaboration, knowledge exchange as well as investments. We do this in collaboration with our development partners as well as key private sector developers.

These activities being driven by the REA have continued to educate and enlighten critical stakeholders in government and private sector on the reliability and sustainability of off-grid technologies. REA have continued to stimulate the renewable energy sector in Nigeria while putting developers on their toes to provide and deploy industry-standard off-grid