The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has charged the newly inaugurated Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), led by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to prioritise expanding electricity access to underserved and unserved communities across Nigeria.
Tegbe gave the charge while inaugurating the new REA Governing Board, describing the agency as a strategic institution in the country’s power sector architecture.
He said Nigeria’s electricity sector must move beyond measuring success by the volume of power generated to assessing the number of communities and Nigerians actually benefiting from electricity.
According to him, the impact of power-sector reforms must be felt at the grassroots, particularly in communities that remain disconnected from reliable electricity.
The minister described REA as a critical bridge between national electricity policy and grassroots development, urging the agency to ensure that its programmes translate government’s power-sector reforms into tangible benefits for Nigerians.
Following the inauguration, Fayose, who was appointed Chairman of the REA Governing Board by President Bola Tinubu, expressed appreciation to the President for the opportunity to serve alongside other board members.
Fayose said his immediate priority would be to help reposition the agency by providing the necessary political support and ensuring that its programmes receive adequate funding.
He pledged that the new board would work towards strengthening the agency’s capacity to deliver on its mandate and improve electricity access across the country.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of REA, Abba Aliyu, thanked President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in the board and management of the agency.
Aliyu said REA would continue to expand electricity access to underserved and unserved communities through its rural and off-grid electrification programmes.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that more Nigerians benefit from electricity, particularly through initiatives designed to extend power supply beyond areas already connected to the national grid.
The inauguration formally marks the commencement of the new board’s tenure, with Fayose expected to lead the governing board in providing strategic direction and oversight for the agency’s activities.
