The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) says its newly completed national energy map will help guide electricity investments by identifying the most appropriate and cost-effective power solutions for communities across Nigeria.
Managing Director of the agency, Dr. Abba Aliyu, said the mapping exercise covered more than 750,000 communities, providing detailed information on electricity access, household distribution and the technologies required to expand power supply.
According to him, the database enables government and private investors to determine whether communities need grid extension, mini-grids or standalone solar systems, making planning and project implementation more efficient.
Aliyu described reliable electricity as critical to Nigeria’s economic growth, noting that sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education and manufacturing increasingly depend on stable power, particularly as artificial intelligence and digital technologies continue to grow.
He said the Federal Government is promoting infrastructure development through capital grants that encourage private sector participation while reducing deployment costs and lowering electricity tariffs for consumers.
The REA boss highlighted the agency’s support for agricultural processing through renewable energy, citing a rice-processing cluster in Plateau State where a solar-powered mini-grid replaced diesel-powered operations, reducing production costs and improving the competitiveness of locally processed rice. He added that the project is being expanded to serve additional factories and nearby communities.
Aliyu also said recent amendments to Nigeria’s mini-grid regulations now allow larger renewable energy projects, increasing the maximum capacity for isolated mini-grids to five megawatts and interconnected mini-grids to 10 megawatts.
He noted that the agency is strengthening collaboration with state governments through its State-by-State Roundtable initiative, which aligns state electricity plans with REA programmes and attracts private sector investment.
On sustainability, Aliyu said every REA mini-grid is equipped with advanced metering and monitoring systems to improve efficiency and revenue collection, while access to electricity is helping to boost financial inclusion and support the growth of small businesses in rural communities.
He added that the agency is also promoting local solar manufacturing through partnerships to establish photovoltaic panel production facilities across the country, with the goal of positioning Nigeria as a regional renewable energy manufacturing hub.
