By Seun Ibiyemi
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has called for a deeper commitment from private developers to sustain Nigeria’s ambitious off-grid power targets.
During an inspection of Vsolaris facilities in Lagos, REA Managing Director Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu stated that government funding is intended solely as a catalytic grant to unlock private capital rather than a permanent subsidy.
This decentralized approach focuses on partnerships with firms capable of local assembly and high operational efficiency to ensure the long-term durability of rural power projects.
The agency’s efforts are currently bolstered by the $750 million World Bank-backed Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project, which aims to provide electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians through 1,350 new minigrids.
During the visit, Vsolaris Group CEO Chantelle Abdul revealed that the company has already developed 101 minigrid sites across 34 local government areas, with a planned capacity of 64 megawatts.
With a recorded 99 percent collection efficiency, the Vsolaris model serves as a benchmark for how private technical expertise can successfully align with public policy to reduce national dependence on costly diesel generation.