The federal government has announced a shift in the way Nigeria’s power sector will measure progress, saying the focus will move from the volume of megawatts generated to the number of communities and Nigerians actually connected to electricity.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this in Abuja during the inauguration of the governing board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Tegbe said the new approach was necessary to ensure that electricity-sector reforms translated into tangible improvements in the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians, particularly people living in underserved and rural communities.
“We are moving from just counting kilowatts and megawatts to how many communities and people were powered in the country,” the minister said.
He described REA as an institution for expanding economic opportunities rather than merely an agency responsible for extending electricity infrastructure.
According to him, every mini-grid inaugurated, solar home system deployed, market electrified or school and primary healthcare centre connected represents an investment in human capital, economic inclusion and national prosperity.
“REA is fundamentally an institution for expanding opportunity,” he said.
Tegbe said the implementation of the Electricity Act and ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry had further increased the importance of REA’s mandate.
He described the agency as a critical link between government policy and grassroots impact, particularly in communities that remain underserved by conventional electricity infrastructure.
The minister charged the newly inaugurated board to provide strategic direction, strengthen institutional governance, protect public resources and deepen partnerships with development institutions and private-sector operators.
He also urged the board to make the welfare of ordinary Nigerians the central consideration in its decisions.
“Most importantly, I encourage you to continually ask one fundamental question whenever decisions come before the board: ‘How does this improve the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians?’” he said.
Tegbe expressed confidence that the approach would help the agency deliver greater impact across the country.
The seven-member REA governing board is chaired by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Other non-executive members are Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Makinta, while REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu and the agency’s 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 power challenges were concentrated at the grassroots, stressing that the board would work to mobilise the resources required to deliver electricity to more communities.
“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 for the implementation of the agency’s short- and long-term electrification programmes.
The new performance approach effectively places greater emphasis on electricity access and its economic and social impact, rather than generation figures alone.
