by George Ozalla
The Federal Government’s Rural Electrification Agency and the Niger State Government have agreed on a strengthened partnership aimed at rapidly expanding renewable energy infrastructure across the state, as both sides seek to close long-standing electricity gaps and stimulate local economic activity.
The commitment was reached in Abuja during the 23rd edition of the State-by-State Energy Roundtable, a policy engagement platform convened by the Rural Electrification Agency to align federal interventions with state-level priorities in the power sector.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, said the state was deliberately positioning renewable energy as a central driver of its development strategy, noting that access to reliable electricity remains critical to agricultural processing, industrial growth, healthcare delivery, education and housing development.
Bago disclosed that the state has earmarked large expanses of land for integrated housing and agricultural schemes that will be powered largely by clean energy solutions. He said the government is ready to co-invest with private developers, offer fiscal incentives and fast-track regulatory approvals to ensure renewable energy projects are delivered at scale.
He also highlighted Niger State’s natural resource potential, pointing to its deposits of silicon and lithium, which are key inputs for solar panel manufacturing and energy storage systems. According to the governor, the state is encouraging investors to establish component manufacturing and assembly facilities locally in order to deepen value addition and create jobs.
As part of its clean energy drive, Bago said the state has begun transitioning public institutions, including hospitals, schools and government offices, to renewable power. He added that a newly created Green Economy Agency will coordinate policies and investments targeted at sustainability and climate-resilient growth.
The governor further revealed that the state has established a Ministry of Vocational and Technical Education to ensure that youths acquire skills relevant to the renewable energy and power sectors, enabling communities to benefit directly from ongoing and future projects.
On existing infrastructure, Bago cited the solar hybrid power project at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, where a solar plant combined with battery storage is already improving power supply on campus and reducing dependence on diesel generators.
In his remarks, Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said Nigeria’s electricity access deficit remains significant, with tens of millions of citizens, mostly in rural and peri-urban communities, still without reliable power.
Aliyu explained that extending the national grid to many remote settlements is economically unviable, making decentralised solutions such as solar mini-grids and standalone systems the most practical option for accelerating access.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has approved substantial funding for renewable electrification programmes designed to attract private capital, expand mini-grid deployment and bring electricity to millions of households nationwide. He added that the agency currently has several financing windows and project pipelines aimed at scaling distributed energy solutions.
Aliyu also noted that recent reforms in the electricity sector now allow states greater autonomy in power generation, distribution and regulation, creating opportunities for subnational governments to drive their own electrification agendas in partnership with the private sector.
Data presented at the roundtable showed that thousands of communities in Niger State are suitable for decentralised electrification, with ongoing and planned projects expected to add new generation capacity and connect tens of thousands of households in the near term.
Participants at the engagement agreed that deepening collaboration between the Rural Electrification Agency, Niger State and private investors would be critical to accelerating project execution, reducing energy poverty and supporting long-term economic growth.
The State-by-State Energy Roundtable series forms part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to promote renewable energy adoption, expand electricity access and support Nigeria’s transition toward a more resilient and diversified power sector.
