The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) says 48 interconnected mini-grid projects are under construction across 19 states.
The projects are said to be under Nigeria’s new mini-grid
regulatory framework, marking a shift from small-scale pilot projects to
utility-scale off-grid electricity deployment.
Abba Aliyu, managing director of the REA, spoke on Thursday
in Abuja during a benchmarking visit by officials of the Zanzibar Utilities
Regulatory Authority (ZURA).
The REA managing director said the projects are being implemented under the interconnected
mini-grid (IMG) regulatory framework introduced by the Nigerian Electricity
Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Aliyu said the projects, which cut across 10 electricity
distribution companies (DisCos), demonstrate how regulatory reforms can
translate into infrastructure development, job creation and improved
electricity access for underserved communities.
“The mini-grid regulations last year had a cap of one
megawatt. We couldn’t build a mini-grid above one megawatt,” Aliyu said.
“What we showed the regulator, the economics and the technical data led to a change in the regulation. Now we can build interconnected mini-grids of up to 10 megawatts and isolated mini-grids of up to five megawatts.”
The REA boss said the regulatory change has transformed the
off-grid market by enabling larger and more commercially viable projects.
He said developers have evolved from operating as
contractors to becoming utility-scale operators capable of managing larger
renewable energy portfolios.
“We are no more contractors. When we created that ecosystem
and opportunity, they started transitioning from contractors to developers. Now
we expect them to move from developers to utility-scale managed companies,”
Aliyu said.
The managing director said the interconnected mini-grid
programme is expected to deliver 252,505 new and improved electricity
connections, 213.3 megawatt-peak (MWp) of solar photovoltaic capacity, 166.1
megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage, and 82.5 megawatts of peak load.
He said the agency now works with more than 150 renewable
energy service companies (RESCOs), some of which manage portfolios of about 30
megawatts and are expanding beyond Nigeria.
Aliyu noted that the agency has adopted a data-driven approach to rural electrification, mapping more than 700,000 communities, over 51,000 health facilities, 11,129 markets, 170 schools, 7,979 factories, 407 operational mini-grids, 57 dams and 2,194 distribution feeders nationwide.
“What you are seeing is not just the map of Nigeria with
colour. Behind the map are layers and layers of data that give us direction on
how, when and where we should intervene,” he said.
Aliyu said the mapping exercise enables the agency to
determine the least-cost electrification option for each community, whether
through grid extension, isolated mini-grids, interconnected mini-grids or solar
home systems.
‘MORE THAN 80M PEOPLE WITHOUT ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY’
He said Nigeria’s electricity access rate currently stands
at 61.2 percent, leaving about 80 million people without access to electricity,
while many connected communities receive fewer than six hours of power supply
daily.
The REA managing director also disclosed that Nigeria is
targeting 3.7 gigawatts of solar manufacturing capacity by the end of 2027, as
part of efforts to build a domestic renewable energy value chain and reduce
dependence on imported photovoltaic panels.
He said some Nigerian-made solar panels are already being
exported to Ghana, adding that the agency is in discussions with Chinese
manufacturers to establish production facilities in the country.
Aliyu further said the REA’s broader electrification
strategy is aimed at expanding energy access, improving reliability and
supporting Nigeria’s long-term goal of achieving universal electricity access
through a mix of grid and off-grid solutions.
Speaking earlier, William Gboney, a World Bank consultant
with ZURA, described Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading countries in off-grid
electrification and mini-grid regulation.
He said the visit was organised to enable Zanzibar’s
electricity regulator to learn from Nigeria’s experience in off-grid
regulation, geospatial planning, grid stability and project implementation.
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