REA signs MoU with ECOWAS to electrify 15 public institutions
• Niger State partners REA to boost electrification The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission
• Niger State partners REA to boost electrification
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission for the electrification of 15 public health and education facilities in Nigeria using solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
In a major step toward improving electricity access in public institutions, ECOWAS will provide grant funding support for the electrification of the institutions under its Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP).
Also, following the signing of the REA-ECOWAS MoU, REA also entered into a separate agreement with the Niger State Government to facilitate state-level collaboration and co-financing for selected project sites within the state.
The ECOWAS partnership, signed yesterday in Abuja, marked the formal commencement of Nigeria’s pilot implementation phase under ROGEAP, a regional initiative supported by the World Bank to expand off-grid electricity access across West Africa and the Sahel.
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Under the agreement, ECOWAS will provide a grant of $700,000 to support the installation of solar PV systems in rural health centres and schools located in the FCT, Niger State, and Nasarawa State. The project will be implemented by REA as the technical and financial implementing agency.
At the signing ceremony, Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said the agreement was a strong demonstration of regional collaboration driving national development.
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He said: “This partnership with ECOWAS reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to expanding reliable electricity access to critical public institutions. Electrifying health centres and schools means improving healthcare delivery, enhancing learning conditions, and strengthening community development”.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, said the pilot phase in Nigeria was a cornerstone of regional strategy to eliminate energy poverty.
He said: “By providing sustainable solar solutions to schools and clinics, we are not just lighting up buildings; we are powering the future of West Africa. This collaboration with the REA demonstrates how regional grants can be effectively localized to touch the lives of the most vulnerable citizens”.
To ensure effective implementation, a dedicated Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established within REA, working closely with the ROGEAP Project Implementation Unit and an established Steering Committee.
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In alignment with the ECOWAS agreement, REA also signed an MoU with the Niger State Government to enable access to ECOWAS funding and provide counterpart support for project sites within the state. The Niger State Government will collaborate with REA on coordination, co-financing, and monitoring of installations in selected facilities.
Governor of Niger State, Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago, said the partnership with REA was a testament to his administration’s ‘New Niger’ agenda, which prioritizes sustainable infrastructure.
“By implementing these solar projects, Niger State is ensuring that our rural health and educational facilities have the reliable power they need to serve our people effectively. We remain committed to providing the necessary counterpart support to make this initiative a lasting success,” Bago said.
Aliyu explained that the dual-level partnership structure with ECOWAS and subnational cooperation with Niger State strengthens institutional coordination and ensures efficient delivery of the pilot project.
He noted that the project is expected to improve energy reliability in rural public facilities, reduce dependence on diesel generators, lower operating costs, and promote clean energy adoption in line with Nigeria’s national energy policies.
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He pointed out that through collaborations such as these, REA has continued to advance its mandate of electrifying unserved and underserved communities while leveraging regional partnerships to unlock sustainable financing and scale impact.
REA is the implementing agency of the Federal Government under the Federal Ministry of Power tasked with the electrification of unserved and underserved communities to catalyze economic growth and improve quality of life for Nigerians. The Agency was established under section 127 of the Electricity Act 2023.
REA is currently implementing the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), Capital Projects, Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES), National Public Sector Solarization Initiative (NPSSI), Solar Power Naija (SPN), Energizing Education Programme (EEP), Energizing Economies Initiative (EEI), Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP), Energy for All – Mass Rural Electrification, Research and Innovation Hub. Africa Mini Grids Programme (AMP), Derisking Sustainable Off-Grid Lighting Solutions (DSOLS), the Korean Energy Project, Healthcare, Education, Agriculture, Rural Development And Transportation (e-HEART) and the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP).
The agency is also responsible for creating an enabling environment for private sector-led projects, which includes conducting feasibility assessments, energy audits, enumeration, data analysis, identification of qualified private sector developers, and project stakeholder engagements.
