President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s electricity sector are beginning to deliver positive results, particularly through the deployment of off-grid solar energy projects aimed at underserved communities across the country.
In his Democracy Day address on Friday, the President highlighted key interventions designed to tackle the nation’s longstanding power challenges and expand access to electricity.
Tinubu noted that the implementation of the Electricity Act, which decentralises the power sector and grants greater autonomy to states, is expected to address structural bottlenecks that have hindered reliable electricity supply for decades.
According to him, the Presidential Power Sector Task Force has intensified efforts to close the country’s metering gap and resolve legacy debts estimated at over N4 trillion.
“The Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working hard to reduce the metering deficit and has been authorised to raise a N4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts. Alongside these reforms, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, is successfully ensuring that underserved communities participate fully in the nation’s growth story,” the President stated.
Tinubu also praised the impact of the Rural Electrification Agency’s off-grid solar initiatives, describing them as a critical component of the administration’s strategy to improve energy access and drive economic growth in remote areas.
The Federal Government has in recent months accelerated the rollout of solar-powered mini-grids nationwide, with over 1,000 projects currently being deployed to provide electricity to rural and underserved communities.
The initiative is expected to boost economic activities, improve living standards, and bridge the energy access gap in areas not connected to the national grid.
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