With its allocation, the REA should be able to deploy solar energy across the public sector to limit reliance on the national electricity grid
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has expressed satisfaction with the agency’s 2025 budget allocation, describing it as unprecedented in the history of the agency.
Speaking on Wednesday after presenting REA’s 2024 budget performance and 2025 projections to the National Assembly, Aliyu commended President Bola Tinubu for the huge allocation. He said: “I think we’ve never had it this good. REA’s budget proposal for this year (2025) is excellent.
“If you look at last year, the total budget presentation was about N160bn, but this year, we have over N500bn. So, our budget allocation for this year is more than good for us. All that is required is for us to go deploy it and start implementation of our projects to deliver on the renewed hope agenda of Mr President.”
The REA boss identified provision for solar-powered energy to public institutions as the key component of the Agency’s agenda in the 2025 fiscal year.
Aliyu said President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the deployment of solar power in the public sector is intended to cut the cost of governance.
Speaking to journalists after the budget defence, he said: “The first key aspect of our 2025 budget is the national public sector solarization initiative, an initiative of President Bola Tinubu with a proposal of N100bn provided. The essence of this initiative is for REA to solarize the public sector. If you look at the data of the budget implementation over the years, you will see the quantum of money used by public institutions to buy generators and diesel to provide electricity. So, the Federal Government now sees it as a way to reduce the cost of governance and provide REA with funding for use to solarize this public institution. This is part of what we presented to the House Committee.”
“For the 2024 budget performance, REA implemented various aspects of work. Key among them was grid extension and the deployment of mini-grids for productive use, which specifically were chosen and deployed within agricultural areas. We also carried out deployment of solar home systems. We did a substantial number of that deployment in 2024.”
Accompanied by top functionaries of the agency including the son of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, Mr Umar Ganduje who serves as REA’s Executive Director (Technical Services).
