The Minister of State for Power, Mr Goddy Jedy-Agba, has urged the newly inaugurated Governing Board of Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to ensure more rural communities benefitted from the scheme.
Jedy-Agba gave the charge while inaugurating the board on Thursday, February 10, 2022, in Abuja.
The board has Mr Abdulazeez Musa Yar’Adua as Chairman and the Managing Director of REA, Mr Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, as a member.
Other members of the board representing the six geopolitical zones include Mr Michael Oluwagbemi (representing the South West), and Mr Chidi Nwogu (representing the South East), Mrs Catherine Ajibike (representing the South South), and Dr Abdullahi Garba (representing the North West).
Also on the board on Ex-Officio capacity are representatives from the Ministries of Power, Finance, Budget and National Planning as well as the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE).
Mr Sanusi Ohiare was re-appointed as the Executive Director Rural Electrification Fund (REF) for another five-year term.
Jedy-Agba said the REA was one of the most visible agency in the ministry and urged the new board to work hard to achieve President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of lighting up all communities by 3030.
“We expect that at the end of the day, we should have meaningful contributions from you as the president is mindful of your performance before his approval.
“The role of the REA is not new to all us as it is performing very well and I can proudly and gladly say the agency has touched at least one community in all the geopolitical zones of the country.
“There is a project to show in the six geopolitical zones, some have two, some have one and some have three,’’ he said.
According to the minister, REA also has a programme that touches on education known as the electrifying education project and there are universities earmarked for this. We have done nine universities and have more to go.
“These universities have been provided solar power to help our students study and keep off criminals, so we expect the board to continue in that direction as well as other programmes of the agency.
“Your duty is to contribute toward making it happen and we are confident that the board will contribute to that effect,’’ he said.
The minister also explained that the appointment of the board members was on a part-time basis to oversee the agency.
“We know the board is there, the management will do the job and the board oversees what they do.’’
Jedy-Agba said that the ministry of power had adopted a new system of performance target, adding that the job of the agency would be reviewed periodically.
According to him, the system emphasis more on harmony as this brings progress and more communities will be lighted up and have more businesses as power is the engine of industrialisation and development.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Nebeolisa Anako, said the reconstitution of the board was one of the milestones toward achieving this administration’s agenda in strengthening the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
He said that the REA was key to achieving vision 3030 in the power sector.
Responding on behalf of other members of the board, the chairman, Yar’Adua, thanked the president for appointing them into the board.
Yar’Adua promised that the team would work with determination and forthrightness to ensure that the president’s objective of providing light to rural communities was achieved.
The REA is the implementing agency of the Federal Government under the Ministry of Power.
It is saddled with the responsibility of electrifying unserved and underserved communities with the aim to catalyse economic growth and improve quality of life for Nigerians.
The REA is currently administering REF and implementing the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) and a number of initiatives in line with its mandate.
By Constance Imasuen
