By Elizabeth Godwin
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has signed grant agreements with nine renewable energy companies as part of a bold initiative to expand electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians through the deployment of mini-grids and solar home systems.
The grant signing ceremony, held Monday in Abuja, marked the inaugural phase of the World Bank-funded Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, which was officially launched in 2024. The companies involved include Privida Power Limited, Baobab Plus, Salpha Energy, Asolar, NTA-StarTimes, A4&T Power Solutions, Sunking Greenlight Planet, Bboxx, and D.Light.
According to REA’s Managing Director, Abba Aliyu, the DARES project will support the deployment of 1,350 mini-grids across underserved communities, directly impacting electricity access for millions. The initiative forms part of the broader global Mission 300 agenda, which aims to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to reliable power by 2030.
“This project is about delivering clean, sustainable electricity to the people who need it most,” Aliyu said. “With the deployment of interconnected mini-grids, we are improving supply reliability for Band D and E customers while also reaching remote communities.”
Aliyu detailed that the DARES project has already identified 198 sites, with expectations to deliver over 340,000 new connections and an additional 47 megawatts of renewable energy to Nigeria’s power mix.
Of particular note, Privida Power Limited will deploy solar mini-grids in 11 communities in Kogi State, providing over 11,000 new household and business connections and adding more than 2.5 megawatts of renewable capacity.
In parallel, the other eight companies will deploy approximately 1.6 million standalone solar home systems (Tier 1 and Tier 2) across rural Nigeria, targeting households and small businesses.
“This is not just a signing ceremony,” said Aliyu. “It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to bridge Nigeria’s energy access gap. The goal of providing electricity to the 18 million Nigerians currently without power is within reach.”
Speaking on behalf of the energy companies, William Akalume, Group CEO of Privida Power Limited, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be part of the transformative effort.
“We are proud to contribute to this project and commend REA for its leadership in expanding access to electricity. This initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of millions,” Akalume said.
Also addressing the event, Olufemi Akinyelure, Head of the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP), stressed the broader socio-economic implications of the DARES project.
“Each connection made under this programme is a step toward education, health, commerce, and inclusive development,” he noted. “This is how we build a Nigeria that leaves no one behind.”
DARES, a flagship component of the NEP, is designed to scale up Nigeria’s off-grid energy sector by leveraging private sector participation and performance-based grants.
With the continued backing of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the REA and its partners are optimistic that Nigeria’s dream of universal energy access is well on track.
