The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has disbursed about N9bn to support the deployment of solar mini-grid projects across Taraba, Kogi, Kwara, and Niger states as part of efforts to expand electricity access in underserved communities.
The agency disclosed this in a statement noting that the funding is backed by its Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up Programme’s performance-based grant framework. The initiative is also supported by a recently signed N100bn Memorandum of Understanding with Lotus Bank.
According to the REA, the projects span multiple states, with mini-grid deployments planned across Taraba, Kogi, and Kwara, alongside additional sites in Niger State. The intervention is aimed at improving electricity supply in areas with limited or no access to the national grid.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director of REA, Abba Aliyu, said the steady flow of funding reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.
the consistency; this is not a one-off thing; it is a pattern of capital being deployed, projects moving forward, and confidence in the system continuing to grow,” he said.
He further noted that the funding would ease access to critical resources for developers while accelerating electricity delivery to communities.
For developers, this means access to the equipment and financing needed to deliver. For communities, it means faster timelines for reliable power. And for the market, it reinforces the point that local financing is stepping up in a significant way,” Aliyu added.
A breakdown of the disbursement shows that N7.95bn was released to Havenhill to finance key equipment for four mini-grid projects across Taraba, Kogi, and Kwara states. Additionally, N1.056bn was disbursed to Faraday & Otstred Limited for mini-grid deployments across three sites in Niger State.
The latest disbursement comes shortly after President Bola Tinubu approved a N3.3tn payment plan to settle longstanding debts in Nigeria’s power sector under the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme.
Under the plan, a total of N3.3tn has been agreed as the full and final settlement of verified legacy debts, with about 15 power plants already signing settlement agreements valued at N2.3tn.
The Federal Government has so far raised N501bn to fund the payments, out of which N223bn has already been disbursed, while further payments are ongoing.
The REA’s latest intervention is seen as part of broader efforts to diversify Nigeria’s power supply away from the national grid. It also aligns with the agency’s plan to deploy N100bn in 2026 for hybrid mini-grid projects targeting government institutions within and outside Abuja.
