Former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, was on Friday inaugurated as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) by the Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe.
The inauguration, held in Abuja, also saw Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar, Mr. Ilyasu Makinta and three other appointees sworn in as non-executive directors. Mr. Abba Aliyu was named Managing Director of the agency.
Speaking after taking the oath, Fayose thanked President Bola Tinubu for the appointment and said his focus would be to provide political leadership that delivers “unprecedented results.”
“Work has started in earnest. We are reaching out very fast and appealing to people to ensure the work is done,” Fayose said.
“I want to assure Nigerians that your expectations about my appointment and those of my colleagues will not be dashed. We will give our best to achieve the Renewed Hope agenda of President Tinubu for a better country.”
He noted that many of Nigeria’s power challenges are at the grassroots and said the board’s mandate goes beyond wiring communities.
“This assignment is beyond providing electricity. It is about looking at our population and ensuring they feel the impact of energy. When this happens, the people will forever be indebted to the agency,” he said.
REA Managing Director, Abba Aliyu, also pledged commitment to expanding access.
“We will continue to do our best to ensure electricity gets to served and underserved communities,” Aliyu said.
In his remarks, Minister Tegbe said Nigeria’s power sector was shifting focus from megawatts to measurable community impact. He described REA as central to that shift.
“We are moving from just counting kilowatts and megawatts to how many communities and people were powered in the country,” Tegbe stated.
“Every mini-grid inaugurated, every solar home system deployed, every market, school, primary healthcare centre, farm, or productive enterprise electrified represents an investment in human capital, economic inclusion, and national prosperity.”
Tegbe noted that with the implementation of the Electricity Act and ongoing reforms, REA’s role has become “even more significant” as the bridge between national policy and grassroots delivery.
“The agency serves as the bridge between national policy and grassroots impact by ensuring that the benefits of power reforms are being felt across the country, not only in our major cities but also in the remotest communities across the federation,” he said.
The minister urged the new board to provide clear policy direction, strengthen governance, ensure value for money, and build partnerships with development partners and the private sector.
“As you assume office at this defining moment, your stewardship must be guided by strategic thinking, transparency, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to deliver results,” Tegbe said.
“Most importantly, I encourage you to continually ask: ‘How does this improve the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians?’ If that remains our compass, the agency will continue to exceed expectations.”
The new board is expected to oversee REA’s long and short-term programs aimed at closing Nigeria’s rural energy gap under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.
