The Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo has hinted that 80 million Nigerians do not have access to electricity.
Salihijo said $2.245billion was required to provide electricity to 3,742,857 households via isolated and interconnected mini-grids.
The REA boss disclosed this yesterday during the REA-NASS workshop held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
He also informed the lawmakers and stakeholders that $235.714m was required to power 785, 714 households in the country.
Salihijo pointed out that approximately 41 million people would be electrified via grid extension between 2020 and 2030.
The REA boss further explained that most of their programmes were design for private sector participation.
In his remarks at the occasion, the Senate President, Senator, Ahmed Lawan, assured that the federal government and the 9th National Assembly were willing to deliver on power to Nigerians.
Represented by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, Lawan said while they optimize the on-grid option as the primary option for electricity access in Nigeria, the federal government was aware of the need for decentralized deployment of electricity infrastructure to serve Nigerians across the country using off-grid solutions.
The senate president maintained that for power to improve, there must be a synergy between the legislature and agency.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Power, Sen. Gabriel Suswan, said it was a sad commentary on the country’s infrastructure that 80 million Nigerians are without electricity.
He observed that most Nigerians in the rural areas are dependent on renewable energy, adding that constant power supply in such areas will provide job opportunities for the rural dwellers.
The agency was established under section 88-92 of the Electricity Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005 to provide access to electricity to unserved and underserved communities across Nigeria.
