By Osaretin Osadebamwen
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has formally assumed office as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
Fayose was inaugurated on Friday in Abuja by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, alongside other members of the agency’s governing board. The inauguration was announced in a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Other members inaugurated included Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar, Mr. Ilyasu Makinta, and three additional non-executive directors, while Mr. Abba Aliyu was formally installed as the Managing Director of the agency.
Speaking after taking the oath of office, Fayose expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in him and the other appointees. He said his priority would be to provide the political backing needed to strengthen the agency’s operations and secure funding for its programmes.
“My mission in REA is to take the agency to greater heights by providing the needed political will,” Fayose said.
He added that efforts had already commenced to mobilise support and ensure the agency obtained the resources required to execute both its immediate and long-term projects aimed at expanding electricity access nationwide.
“Work has started in earnest; we are reaching out very fast and appealing to people to ensure the work is done. I want to use this window to assure Nigerians that your expectation about my appointment and my colleagues will not be dashed. We will give our best to achieve the Renewed Hope of President Tinubu for the country to be better for us all,” he said.
Fayose noted that many of the challenges facing Nigeria’s electricity sector originate in rural communities and stressed that the agency’s responsibility extends beyond simply supplying power.
“The assignment given to us is beyond providing electricity but also looking at the population of the country who need to feel the impact of the energy. When this happens, the people will forever be indebted to the agency,” he said.
Earlier, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said the country must begin to measure success in the electricity sector by the number of communities and citizens benefiting from power, rather than by megawatts generated.
“We are moving from just counting kilowatts and megawatts to how many communities and people were powered in the country,” the minister said.
Tegbe described the REA as a critical institution in Nigeria’s power sector, with a mandate spanning education, healthcare, agriculture, commerce, and broader economic development.
“REA is fundamentally an institution for expanding opportunity. 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,” he said.
According to the minister, the agency’s role has become even more significant as the Federal Government continues implementing the Electricity Act and wider reforms in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry. He said REA must serve as the link between national electricity policy and grassroots development, ensuring that rural communities benefit from ongoing reforms.
“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.
Tegbe said the inauguration of the new board reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to stronger governance, accountability, and strategic oversight in public institutions. He urged the board members to embrace transparency, innovation, and prudent management of public resources while building partnerships with development agencies and the private sector to improve electricity access.
“Most importantly, I encourage you to continually ask one fundamental question whenever decisions come before the board: ‘How does this improve the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians?’ If that question remains our compass, I have no doubt that the agency will continue to exceed expectations,” Tegbe said.
REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu also thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and assured Nigerians that the agency would continue to expand electricity access to underserved and unserved communities through its rural and off-grid programmes.
The inauguration officially marks the beginning of the tenure of the new REA governing board, with Fayose expected to provide strategic leadership and oversight for the agency’s operations.
