The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has assured the National Judicial Institute (NJI) of priority inclusion in its N100 billion National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, following a courtesy visit by NJI’s Administrator, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, to REA’s Abuja headquarters.
The managing director of REA, Abba Aliyu disclosed this commitment during the engagement, noting the timing aligned perfectly with ongoing energy audits for security agencies and other public institutions.
He emphasised that President Tinubu’s approval of the N100 billion programme targets underserved entities struggling with electricity costs, with REA already intervening at the State Security Service, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the National Hospital, and 12 educational institutions nationwide.
Justice Adejumo, leading the NJI delegation, highlighted the institute’s acute power needs to support training over 1,500 judicial officers from magistrates to superiors, its teaching hospital, research fellows, and 300-building campus in Gwagwalada—described as a “rural community” despite its Airport Road location. Without reliable electricity, he warned, computers fail, hospital equipment like MRIs becomes useless, and modern judicial trends cannot be taught effectively.
“We need power for manufacturing, ecosystem revolution—even barbers, hairdressers, tailors,” Adejumo stated, urging private sector-led growth like in China and India.
He recounted verifying REA’s Niger projects via AI research after a State House briefing, praising the agency’s work in renewable promotion, community infrastructure, economic empowerment, energising education, job creation, and healthcare.
Aliyu responded affirmatively, confirming NJI’s spot on the audit list alongside Police, Navy, Air Force, Army, and others submitted by the Renewable Energy Fund directorate.
Aliyu credited President Tinubu for launching Nigeria’s first structured federal programme to tackle electricity access since 1985, calling it the world’s largest publicly funded renewable electricity project at $750 million—leveraging $1.1 billion in private funds to build 1,350 mini-grids, including 250 interconnected ones that inject over 200MW into the national grid.
He detailed the Energising Education Programme’s reach: 15 universities completed, including 12MW solar at University of Maiduguri’s teaching hospital and water plant, plus Federal Universities in Yobe, Ondo (Akure), Nasarawa (Lafia), Ogoja, Ebonyi (Igbo-Owele), Port Harcourt, Uyo, and Calabar. Eight more are advancing: University of Lagos, Ibadan (with teaching hospital), Nigeria (Nsukka), Benin, Wukari (Taraba), and Tsafe (Jigawa).For the first time continent-wide, REA has deployed over 1,000 mini-grids and 50+ interconnected systems, Adejumo affirmed NJI’s readiness via MOU for sustained partnership.
Adejumo sought to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the agency for solar energy deployment.
“I would like us to have an MoU. There are many things we can do,” he said.
He recalled being in the Villa when a young Nigerian was talking about Rural Electrification. He narrated
“I would like an MOU between REA and NJI… liberalists always ask for more, but for our children and nation,” he said.
SOURCE: LEADERSHIP NEWS PAPER
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