FG Launches $750m Mini-Grid Solar Power Project

The Federal Government is implementing what has been described as the largest publicly funded renewable electricity programme in the world, aimed at expanding power access through mini-grids, solar infrastructure, and off-grid electrification projects across Nigeria, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Abba Aliyu, has said.

Aliyu disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while hosting a delegation from the National Judicial Institute at the agency’s headquarters, where discussions centred on the possibility of deploying solar power solutions to support electricity supply at the institute’s training facilities.

According to him, the current administration is pursuing a structured and unprecedented approach to solving Nigeria’s electricity access challenges, including a $750m renewable electrification programme expected to catalyse $1.1bn in private sector investment.

Aliyu said the initiative would facilitate the deployment of 1,350 mini-grids across the country, including 250 interconnected mini-grids that will supply electricity directly into the national grid.

“Lordship, for me it is an honour to have you in the Rural Electrification Agency today. I believe the credit for the work that we are doing should first go to Mr President because this is the first time in the history of the country where a structured programme is being implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the electricity access challenge,” Aliyu said.

“For the first time, we are witnessing the implementation of the biggest publicly funded renewable electricity project in the entire world.

It is a $750m project that will catalyse $1.1bn in private sector funding to deploy 1,350 mini-grids across the country.”

He explained that the programme would significantly boost electricity supply to underserved communities while also supporting Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy sources.

Aliyu added that the agency was simultaneously executing several large-scale solar projects under its Energising Education Programme, designed to provide a dedicated power supply to federal universities and teaching hospitals.

“As of today, we have completed 15 projects under the Energising Education Programme. The video you saw shows one of the projects where we deployed 12 megawatts in a single university to power the campus, the teaching hospital, and even the water treatment plant through a new distribution network,” he said.

He said the programme had already delivered solar power projects in several federal institutions, including the University of Maiduguri, Federal University Gashua in Yobe State, the Federal University of Agriculture in Akure, as well as universities in Nasarawa, Kogi, Imo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states.

Aliyu added that another eight large solar power projects had been developed and were awaiting implementation in institutions such as the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan’s teaching hospital, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Benin, Federal University Wukari in Taraba State, and Federal University Dutse in Jigawa State.

“This is the quantum of infrastructure that has been deployed across the country to address the electricity access challenge,” he said.

The REA boss also revealed that the President had approved N100 billion for the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, a programme designed to provide solar electricity to government institutions struggling with unreliable grid supply or high electricity costs.

According to him, the initiative has already commenced in several public institutions, including the Department of State Services, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the National Hospital in Abuja, and several tertiary institutions.

“The essence of that programme is to provide intervention for public institutions that are underserved or facing difficulty paying for the electricity they consume,” Aliyu said.

“To date, we have already started installations at the DSS, EFCC, ICPC, National Hospital, and about 12 more educational institutions across the country. And this is just the beginning.”

Aliyu assured the visiting delegation that the National Judicial Institute would also be considered for solar electrification under the programme, noting that the agency typically conducts energy audits to determine the optimal power capacity required before installing mini-grids.

“We normally conduct an energy audit to determine the optimal size of the mini-grid that we should deploy, the distribution network, and the metering system. But I assure you that the National Judicial Institute will find its way into that list,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the President of the National Industrial Court, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, commended the agency’s leadership for expanding electricity access across communities and institutions.

He said the judiciary recognised the critical role of stable electricity in supporting economic growth, public services, and effective judicial administration.

“Problem number one in Nigeria is power. The barber, the hairdresser, the tailor, they all need electricity. Without power, even the organiser cannot function,” Adejumo said.

He noted that modern institutions such as hospitals, training centres, and courts require stable electricity to operate efficiently, particularly with the increasing reliance on digital technologies.

Adejumo added that the National Judicial Institute, which trains judges and magistrates across Nigeria, houses about 900 residents and over 300 buildings, making a reliable electricity supply essential for its operations.

“If there is a hospital and you put all the equipment there, MRI machines and other systems, without electricity, they will not work. That is why what you are doing here is very important for the development of this country. We train not less than 1,500 judicial officers every year. We have lecture halls, computers, and equipment that cannot function without electricity,” he said.

The industrial court boss, therefore, urged the Rural Electrification Agency to consider supporting the institute with solar power infrastructure. He also praised the agency’s achievements after conducting independent checks on its projects.

“A rural area does not necessarily mean the bush. Any place without electricity and water is a rural area. Even some parts of the Federal Capital Territory fall into that category. When I heard the presentation about what the agency has done across the country, I went to verify it myself. What I have seen today confirms that the Rural Electrification Agency is truly working,” he noted.

Nigeria faces one of the largest electricity access gaps in the world, with more than 85 million Nigerians lacking a reliable power supply, according to data from the World Bank and the International Energy Agency.

While the national grid has an installed capacity of over 13,000 megawatts, actual generation often fluctuates between 3,500MW and 5,000MW, leaving millions of homes and businesses dependent on diesel and petrol generators.

To bridge this gap, the Federal Government has increasingly focused on off-grid renewable energy solutions, including solar mini-grids and stand-alone systems designed to supply electricity to rural communities, universities, hospitals, and other public institutions.

The Rural Electrification Agency, established to expand electricity access in underserved areas, has become a key driver of Nigeria’s off-grid electrification strategy through programmes such as the Nigeria Electrification Project, Energising Education Programme, and Energising Economies Initiative.

The agency says the ongoing renewable energy projects are expected to expand electricity access, reduce reliance on fossil fuel generators, and stimulate economic activity in communities across the country.