- The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is developing 40 interconnected mini-grids designed to add 288 megawatts (MW) of additional power to Nigeria’s national grid.
- The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reviewed mini-grid regulations, increasing the cap for isolated systems from 1MW to 5MW and allowing interconnected systems to reach up to 10MW.
- These distributed renewable energy projects, supported by battery storage, are expected to play a crucial role in stabilizing the grid and closing the nation’s electricity access gap.
In a major step toward addressing Nigeria’s persistent power challenges, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has announced the development of 40 new interconnected mini-grids.
Eko Hot Blog reports that these projects are set to inject 288MW of new capacity into the national grid, marking a significant shift toward utility-scale renewable energy.
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The Managing Director and CEO of the REA, Abba Aliyu, disclosed this during the 2026 Energy Times Awards.
He attributed the breakthrough to a major regulatory overhaul by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Following two years of advocacy and engagement, the new framework has expanded the capacity limits for mini-grids, allowing developers to deploy much larger projects without the previous “derogation approvals” that often slowed down investments.
Aliyu noted that the inclusion of battery storage in these 40 projects will ensure that renewable energy can contribute meaningfully to national supply even during peak periods.
“Rather than deploying one megawatt, we can now deploy ten times as many,” he stated, adding that this will foster the emergence of utility-scale solar projects across the country.
This announcement comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s energy sector.
Recently, the Presidency confirmed the exit of top officials, including Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, who has proposed the creation of a coordinating office for the energy ministry to ensure a smooth transition.
