Shettima Charges REA on More Access to Electricity for Nigerians

*Okays agency’s request to partner NEC on rural electrification project 

*REA secures $750m grant from W’Bank, AfDB

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday charged the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to double efforts in the bid to accelerate Nigeria’s journey towards universal electricity access and ensure Nigerians get more access to power supply.

Accordingly, he granted REA’s request to enter into a partnership with the National Economic Council (NEC) in order to have access to state governors and engage them in the drive towards electrifying communities across the country.
This was just as the agency disclosed that it has secured a grant of $750 million from the World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) for rural electrification projects across Nigeria.

Shettima gave the advice when a delegation from REA, led by its Managing Director/CEO, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, made a presentation on the National Electrification and Implementation Plan (NESIP) to him at the State House, Abuja.
“To me, I appreciate you, I adore you, I respect you, but we need to think outside the box and we need to think big,” the Vice President who is Chairman of NEC told the REA delegation, assuring them of maximum support from the Council and the state governors.

According to him, “The most startling revelation of this presentation has to do with the correlation between access to electricity and financial inclusion. Hence, I believe our job is cut out for us, and I want to assure you that we are going to partner with your agency so that we can meet the aspiration of the Nigerian people for access to electricity.”

Urging REA to double efforts in giving more Nigerians access to electricity, Shettima commended the agency for doing an outstanding job, taking into cognisance its efforts in several other sectors.
He however scored the agency low in terms of publicity, noting that it has performed poorly in creating awareness and keeping Nigerians abreast with ongoing efforts to address the electricity deficit in the country.

His words, “I am afraid you need to overhaul your PR management team. People need to know – Nigerians ought to know.”
Acceding to the agency’s request to collaborate with NEC and the state governors for the electrification project, the Vice President asked the management of REA to engage the Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai, in order to make a formal presentation in one of the NEC meetings.
This, he said, is necessary “so that the governors too, who are very essential in our drive towards electrifying our communities, can have a buy-in from your submissions.”

Earlier in his presentation, the Managing Director of the REA, Aliyu, listed four main sources of funding for the agency namely the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and Electricity Market, which is the excess revenue of the liquidator and grants which comes from partnership with international development agencies where funds are normally provided to develop different models and concepts in the country.
Aliyu noted that before his appointment as the Managing Director of REA, he was heading the project management unit that was implementing a $550 million REA project funded by the World Bank and AfDB.

He said the agency succeeded in securing another approval for another grant of $750 million, explaining that the biggest public sector-funded project and implementation is about to commence.

The MD highlighted some of the electricity projects to include the 12 megawatts plant in Maiduguri, which he said is about to be completed and inaugurated in the next two months, adding that the electricity project is serving the University of Maiduguri and the Teaching Hospital and plans are ongoing to extend it to the water treatment plant in the state.

He further noted that the new management of the agency is focusing on six key strategic areas, including the National Electrification and Strategic Implementation Plan (NESIP) which outlines the framework that aligns with the federal government’s vision of a sustainable and inclusive energy, as well as streamlining the coordination between the sub-nationals towards the implementation of electrification across the country.