Recently, President Buhari’s media aide on New Media, Bashir Ahmad tweeted about how the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria(REAN) has been powering hundreds of shops at the Sabon Gari Market in Kano with clean and stable electricity.

In Nigeria, where power supply from the National Grid is abysmal and epileptic, Sabon gari Market in Kano is an exception not the norm. The electricity supplied to this market is not from the National grid. It is generated from Solar Energy produced under a special programme set up by the government.

REA is the Official Government Agency that Promotes, Coordinates and Provides Rural Electrification Across Nigeria. It was set up by Section 88 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act 2005, and the Board and Management of the Agency were inaugurated on March 16, 2006.

Since then, it has been responsible for implementing the Federal Government of Nigeria’s commitment to aggressive rural electrification.

o connect off grid communities across the country to electricity through renewable power sources, the REA, in conjunction with the World Bank embarked upon the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), a private sector driven initiative that has provided electricity access to several households, micro, small and medium enterprises across the countries. According to the NEA, one of the goals of the NEP is to provide reliable power supply for 250,000 (MSMEs) and 1 million households.

Today’s Echo gathers that the pilot phase of the project which is ongoing, will provide off-grid electricity for 50 communities in 4 states. Furthermore, 37 Federal Universities and Teaching Hospitals will be supplied with electricity via solar energy.

Silently, the REA’s NEP is emerging a success story in Nigeria. Gradually, several villages, schools, hospitals and markets are being lit up successfully as the REA deploys its solar electric projects across the length and breadth of the country.

One of the latest projects of the REA is the Upake project. On Monday, 19th Aug, 2019, REA commissioned the first Rural Electrification Fund (REF) minigrid at Upake in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, based on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model.

“Over 2,879 people in Upake are now connected, more in Obangede,” according to the REA.

https://www.todaysecho.com/technology/exclusive-how-the-rural-electrification-project-is-lighting-up-nigeria-with-renewable-energyphotos/

1. Photo from the commissioning of the Upake project
2. Understanding the NEF(Nigerian Electrification) project
3. structure of the REA(Rural Electrification Agency)
4. Recent REA projects

There is a lot more on the website but I can't post more, especially because of the photos and videos.
Fore more, go here: https://www.todaysecho.com/technology/exclusive-how-the-rural-electrification-project-is-lighting-up-nigeria-with-renewable-energyphotos/