By Seun Ibiyemi
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s power and development sectors have stressed the need for improved electricity access to drive productivity, create jobs and accelerate economic growth across the country.
The call was made on Wednesday during the National Stakeholders Engagement Workshop organised by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in Abuja in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA).
The workshop, themed “Unlocking and Scaling the Sustainable Adoption of Productive Use of Energy Technologies Across Nigeria: Harmonising Financing Opportunities and Policy Frameworks,” brought together government officials, development partners and private sector players to explore strategies for expanding access to productive energy technologies.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was shifting the focus of rural electrification from infrastructure provision to economic empowerment.
“Our approach to energy diversification under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reflects a simple but profound truth: rural electrification is no longer about extending wires into communities. It is about extending opportunity. It is about creating prosperity. It is about enabling enterprise,” Tegbe said.
He stressed that the success of the power sector should not be measured solely by electricity generation and distribution figures, but by the economic opportunities created through access to reliable power.
“When we speak about electricity, we often measure success by megawatts generated, kilometres of distribution lines constructed, or the number of households connected.
READ ALSO:Renewable energy key to Nigeria’s industrial growth – REA
Those are important indicators, but they are not the ultimate objective. The true measure of success is what electricity enables,” the minister stated.
Tegbe highlighted the critical role of electricity in agriculture and agro-processing, noting that inadequate energy infrastructure continues to fuel post-harvest losses and limit productivity.
“We lose crops because there is insufficient cold storage. We lose income because processing capacity remains inadequate. We lose jobs because raw produce leaves our farms without value addition,” he said.
He added that the Productive Use of Energy (PUE) agenda sits at the intersection of energy, agriculture, industrialisation, climate resilience, food security and job creation.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the REA, Dr Abba Aliyu, called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development institutions and private investors to build sustainable systems that outlive individual projects.
“Projects are managed by a project team. They are scoped, budgeted, delivered and closed. What we are trying to build today is something different: a system,” Aliyu said.
He stressed that stronger coordination among stakeholders would optimise resources and ensure long-term impact.
Aliyu also underscored the importance of small-scale farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria’s food and economic systems, urging institutions to work together to create sustainable energy solutions for rural communities.
As part of efforts to strengthen productive energy use, the REA signed memoranda of understanding with seven organisations, including the Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative, Federal Housing Authority Energy Distribution Limited, Meyana Energy Ltd, MOPO Nigeria Ltd, NG Electometer Ltd, Ubuntu Energy, and Youth Sustainable Development Network Ltd/GTE.
Also speaking, the Senior Adviser and Coordinator of the ECOWAS Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project, Elhadji Sylla, commended the Federal Government for its commitment to expanding electricity access across the region.
He emphasised that electricity must move beyond household consumption to support productive economic activities.
“Electricity is strategic in reducing poverty, but renewable energy, particularly solar energy, will serve as a key catalyst for accelerating universal access,” Sylla said.
He added that the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project aims to deepen the off-grid solar market and ensure that energy contributes directly to economic development.
