The recent two-day summit held on the 22 – 23 July, 2024 organized by
the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on
Accelerated Scale-Up of Renewable and Distributed Energy Solutions
in Nigeria
marked a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards
achieving sustainable energy access. Held in Abuja, the event brought
together key stakeholders in the energy sector, including government
officials, private sector developers, financial institutions,
non-governmental organizations, and international partners, to discuss
strategies for boosting renewable energy adoption in the Nigeria.
The summit featured keynote addresses from industry leader as
including the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and NERC
Chairman, Sanusi Garba, who both emphasized the significance of the
summit in driving the growth of Nigeria's energy landscape.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation by Abba Abubakar
Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). He
outlined the agency’s impressive achievements in electrifying over 7.8
million Nigerians and deploying over 1million solar home systems
through the World Bank funded Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP).
"Our priority is to provide electricity access to communities that
have gone decades without it. Simple tasks like charging a phone
should not be a big deal," Mr Abba said.
Mr. Abba also revealed the agency’s ambitious plans to expand
electricity access to an additional 17 million Nigerians under the
upcoming Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up
(DARES) initiative, a USD750 million world bank funded project "We aim
to electrify over 17 million Nigerians through the Distributed Access
Scale Project, increasing from 1.8 million to 3.2 million households.
Our ambition is to scale up what we have done and amplify the impact,"
he added.
Mr. Olufemi Akinyelure, Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project
(NEP), provided insights into the project's successes and emphasized
the need for collaboration among regulators, developers, and
financiers to unlock the full potential of the off-grid space.
"Our ultimate goal is to ensure that off-takers and consumers have a
more reliable power supply. By leveraging the success of NEP, we are
poised to scale up our efforts with DARES, focusing on simplicity,
speed, and transparency," Mr. Akinyelure remarked, He also emphasized
"the $750 million allocated should not be seen as a limitation. There
is a lot more financing available, and with the right cooperate
governance, we can lead the sector," he stated.
The NERC Deputy General Manager, Abba Terab, noted that the summit
served as a valuable learning curve for the NERC, renewable energy
companies and the Distribution Companies. "This is the beginning of
more collaborations for those present here to see that we deliver
renewable energy and distributed energy in the power system. NERC will
take note of all the feedback and requests, especially on the
mini-grid regulations, and provide feedback. NERC will also work on
the relevant regulations in line with the business rule and come up
with the reviewed regulations,"
The summit also provided a platform to showcase success stories from
ongoing renewable energy projects across Nigeria. A recurring theme
throughout the summit was the importance of collaboration and
engagement with all stakeholders in the energy sector.
The introduction of DARES, alongside NEP’s continued success, promises
to bring about significant advancements in energy access and
sustainability. As Nigeria continues to innovate and lead in the
energy transition plan, collaboration with of State government, and
ensuring that every Nigerian has access to reliable, sustainable, and
affordable power.
