REA embarks on solarization of public institutions to save cost of governance
By Haruna Salami
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has presented 2025 budget proposal of over N500 billion with provision of N100 billion for national public sector solarization to reduce cost of governance in Nigeria.
The MD/CEO, REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu who stated this Monday at the budget defence disclosed that solarisation of public institutions is a new initiative of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which was designed specifically to save the money on diesel to power generators.
Earlier, the agency presented the 2024 performance and also informed the National Assembly that they have achieved 100% implementation of the 2023, “which made even the Budget Office to recognize REA as a performing agency”.
Aliyu said REA is going to “solarize the entire public institutions and save the cost of purchase of diesel.
“The National Public Sector Solarization Initiative will cover education, health institutions, all MDAs, ministries, departments, and agencies”.
READ ALSO: Nigerian stock market gains N10.24bn as ASI inches up…
The agency is waiting for approval to commence process of the implementation of the solarisation project.
On the advice by the Senate Committee on Power that REA should look for headquarters accommodation in a rural area instead of a city centre.
The MD/CEO said “when you look at an agency like REA with the quantum of work that we are implementing, not only that with the kind of stakeholders that we are dealing with, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, United Nations, we informed the National Assembly that there is need for REA to have a head office of its own within a confinement area that these stakeholders will be comfortable to be dealing with us. So that is our case for head office within the Abuja Metropolitan area.”
Speaking further on the amount spent on diesel, the MD gave an analysis of the various spending on diesel thus: “In the last year’s budget, in eight months, 144 ministries, departments, and agencies of government spent over N30 billion in just purchase of diesel. And at that trajectory, we expected that they would spend over N50 billion in purchase of that diesel.
“To save that cost, that is why we are embarking on the National Public Sector Solarization, to provide them with 24/7 renewable, sustainable electricity and save that N50 billion, which can be channeled to other valuable sectors of the Niger economy.
“It is the president’s way of saving cost of governance under his leadership”, he said.
