REA MD wins transparency award
By Ejire Folakunmi
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr. Abba Aliyu has been honoured with an Award of Excellence for transparency and efficiency in executing renewable energy projects.
Aliyu received the award on Friday in Lagos from the Editorial Board of Energy Times.
Explaining the decision, Board Chairman Yakubu Lawal said the board sought individuals transforming Nigeria’s energy landscape and improving lives.
“Dr. Aliyu’s ability to achieve an 85% budget execution rate while managing multi-million dollar international facilities proves that transparency and efficiency can coexist in Nigeria’s public sector,” Lawal said.
The board described the recognition as a “calculated acknowledgment” of Aliyu’s role in steering Nigeria toward a decentralised energy future. His leadership, it added, has been instrumental in positioning the country to provide electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians.
The primary catalyst for the award was Aliyu’s negotiation and implementation of the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project. Backed by a $750 million World Bank facility, DARES is the largest renewable energy project of its kind globally.
“By engaging 21 states in roundtable meetings and providing them with data-driven electrification maps, he has decentralised the planning process, allowing states to take ownership of their specific energy needs,” the board stated.
It also cited his push for the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model, which has empowered local firms to become utility-scale providers. Under his tenure, local manufacturing has grown, with Nigeria now exporting solar panels to Ghana, the board said.
Reacting to the honour, Dr. Aliyu said the award reflects transformative strides under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the strategic guidance of Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu.
He noted that through the Renewed Hope Agenda, REA is extending sustainable power to over 17.5 million homes nationwide.
Momentum is also building from a recently signed ₦100 billion Memorandum of Understanding, with disbursements underway to accelerate mini-grid projects across the country, he added.
The award, the board said, validates the Renewed Hope agenda in the power sector and highlights REA’s role as a key agency driving Nigeria’s transition to a more resilient, solar-powered economy.