Over 20,000 rural communities in Nigeria are without electricity, says the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The government is working to energize 3,700 communities with clean energy through a new initiative.
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has revealed that over 20,000 rural communities in Nigeria have been without electricity for years, with many others underserved by energy distribution companies.
REA Managing Director, Abubakar Aliyu, represented by Executive Director of Rural Electrification Fund, Dorolis Uboh, made the announcement during the commissioning of a 550kWp interconnected mini-grid in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State on February 17, 2025.
Aliyu highlighted that the government is working to provide electricity to 3,700 communities — 100 in each state — with 370 megawatts of clean energy.
He added that the first phase will energize 25 communities per state, totaling 925 communities nationwide, contributing over 92 megawatts of clean energy to rural areas.
The REA has identified 10,000 of these communities for electrification, focusing on clean and alternative energy sources. The project, part of the Interconnected Mini-Grid Accelerated Scheme (IMAS), aims to reach 125,000 beneficiaries across Nigeria’s six geopolitical regions, with support from development partners like German Cooperation, the European Union, and GIZ.
Aliyu noted that 3,500 households in the Bakin Ciyawa and Kwande communities will benefit from this project, with plans to scale up efforts to tackle the widespread issue of energy scarcity.
This initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent power outages affecting both rural and urban areas, exacerbated by frequent collapses of the national power grid.
ICIR
