Mr Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power, says the success of Nigeria’s power sector should no longer be measured primarily by the volume of electricity generated, but by the number of communities and people with access to reliable electricity.
Tegbe made the assertion on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Abuja at the inauguration of the governing board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
The minister said the mandate of the agency went beyond connecting communities to electricity, describing it as a critical institution for expanding economic opportunities and improving livelihoods.
“We are moving from just counting kilowatts and megawatts to how many communities and people were powered in the country,” Tegbe said.
He said every mini-grid established, solar home system deployed, and market, school, healthcare centre, farm or productive enterprise connected to electricity represented an investment in human capital, economic inclusion and national development.
According to him, the implementation of the Electricity Act and ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry have further increased the importance of the REA.
Tegbe said the agency served as a link between government policy and grassroots development by extending electricity access beyond urban centres to underserved communities across the country.
He urged the newly inaugurated board to provide strategic leadership, strengthen institutional governance, safeguard public resources and expand partnerships with development institutions and private-sector organisations.
The minister also charged the board to ensure that its decisions remained focused on improving the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.
The seven-member board is chaired by Mr Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State.
Other non-executive members are Mr Ahmadu Abubakar and Mr Ilyasu Makinta, while the REA Managing Director, Mr Abba Aliyu, and three executive directors complete the board.
Speaking on behalf of the board, Fayose thanked President Bola Tinubu for the appointment and pledged to support efforts to expand electricity access across the country.
He said many of Nigeria’s electricity challenges were concentrated at the grassroots, adding that the board would work to mobilise resources required to connect more communities to electricity.
“Our assignment is beyond providing electricity. It is about ensuring that Nigerians feel the impact of energy,” Fayose said.
He also pledged to pursue adequate funding to support the agency’s short- and long-term electrification programmes.
