By Susan Olalere 
In a landmark move for Nigeria’s energy sector, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has signed grant agreements with nine renewable energy firms to deliver electricity access to 17.5 million Nigerians. This initiative is the first major rollout under the World Bank-funded Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) project, launched in 2024.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja on April 29, REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu revealed that the project would deploy 1,350 mini-grids and 1.6 million solar home systems, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward energy inclusion.
Mini-Grids, Solar Systems, and Mission 300
The agreements involve energy companies such as Privida Power, Baobab Plus, Salpha Energy, Asolar, A4&T Power Solutions, D.Light, Sunking, NTA-StarTimes, and Bboxx. These firms will collectively target both isolated and interconnected off-grid communities across the country.
Privida Power alone will deploy solar mini-grids in 11 communities in Kogi State, delivering 2.5 megawatts of power and over 11,000 connections. Meanwhile, the other eight firms will install Tier 1 and Tier 2 solar systems in rural households and MSMEs.
The project aligns with Mission 300, a global effort to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to reliable electricity by 2030.
“Today’s signing is not just a contract; it is a commitment to communities long underserved by conventional infrastructure,” said Aliyu.
Targeting Band D & E Customers
REA clarified that the mini-grids are designed to improve power supply for Band D and E electricity customers—largely located in peri-urban and rural regions. The deployment will add 47 megawatts of clean electricity to Nigeria’s energy mix and introduce over 340,000 new service connections in the first phase.
The head of the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP), Olufemi Akinyelure, emphasized the transformative impact of each connection.
“Every connection made under DARES represents a doorway to education, healthcare, commerce, and inclusion,” he said.
A Power Shift Rooted in Collaboration
The REA’s execution of the DARES project is widely seen as a benchmark for public-private partnerships in the renewable energy space. With support from the World Bank and a coalition of clean energy firms, the initiative is expected to unlock local economies, boost productivity, and improve quality of life for millions currently off the grid.
This move is also a core component of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes aggressive energy sector reforms.
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