Nigeria's Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has signed a partnership for electrification via solar mini-grids with CrossBoundary Energy Access and Engie Energy Acces. At least 15 communities will be electrified in three Nigerian states.
The partnership recently signed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) with CrossBoundary Energy Access and Engie Energy Acces covers the electrification of at least 15 rural communities in Nigeria. The agreement covers the states of Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger. As part of the partnership, a portfolio of mini-grids will be built to connect hundreds of households and micro-enterprises in underserved or unserved rural communities.
“This partnership marks an important milestone in the quest to bring electricity to underserved communities, creating opportunities for economic growth, improved living conditions and a better future for all,” says Engie Energy Acces. The subsidiary of French energy company Engie connected its very first solar-powered mini-grid in Nigeria in 2022, marking its arrival in the most populous country on the African continent (more than 213 million inhabitants), where much remains to be done in terms of electrification.
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For the time being, 60% of Nigerians still do not have access to electricity, 80% of them in rural areas. REA, with the support of the World Bank, wants to turn the tide by focusing on solar mini-grids and other decentralised solutions for access to electricity, in particular solar home systems.
This partnership comes more than a year after CrossBoundary Energy Access and Engie Energy Access committed $60 million to rural electrification in Nigeria. Through the construction of a portfolio of solar mini-grids, the two partners will contribute to the electrification of at least 150,000 people in this West African country.
Jean Marie Takouleu
