Katsina State Governor gives the REA a ‘vote of confidence’ in the delivery of sustainable energy infrastructure; Reaffirms commitment to providing the needed support for the growth and efficiency of the REA’s RESCO model; sign MoU with the REA for a long-term strategic relationship to scale the deployment of decentralized solar power generation and distribution projects in the State
On Thursday the 24th of October 2024, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in collaboration with the Katsina State Government convened a knowledge-driven and solution-focused Roundtable with active stakeholders in the nation’s energy sector, including Renewable Service Companies (RESCOs) with a long history of project implementation with the REA. Within the context of the recommendations encoded in the 2023 Electricity Act and in a bid to advance the REA’s mandate of providing electricity to unserved and underserved rural communities across the country, the workshop reaffirmed the agency’s sustained collaboration with State Governments through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). The Roundtable was convened in collaboration with the Katsina State Government and Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA).
The highlight of the Roundtable was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the REA and the Katsina State Government, kick-starting a long-term strategic relationship for scaling the deployment of decentralized solar power generation and distribution projects in the State, through the REA’s Renewable Service Companies (RESCOs). The MoU also enables the REA to deepen support to the State Government, ensuring successful planning, implementation and post-implementation of the electrification projects targeted at unserved and the under-served communities; targeted energy solutions to MSMEs in the state; facilitation of private sector investment as well as capacity building for Katsina State local stakeholders.
The Roundtable, which held in Abuja served as a platform for the REA to mainstream its programmes and data-driven initiatives to critical stakeholders, while charting a new course for improved investment, manpower development, sustainability and technology optimization in the clean energy sector. The nation’s new legislation, the 2023 Electricity Act as well as the National Electrification and Strategy Implementation Plan (NESIP) has further opened up opportunities for collaborative engagements targeted at the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda for social and economic growth for all Nigerians.
Historically, Katsina State, like other states across the nation, continues to face significant energy challenges across its rural communities, which hampers socio-economic development and quality of life. Leveraging its broad-based approach to project delivery and project sustainability, the REA optimized the Roundtable to serve as an effective meeting point, fostering partnerships between RESCOs and the Katsina State Government, targeted at further unlocking energy access infrastructure and investment in rural and unserved communities in the State.
As the Katsina State Government takes on a forward-leaning approach to the design of its State Electricity Market as recommended in the 2023 Electricity Act, REA’s Executive and Technical management team deepened key conversation touch points and pain points in the clean energy space, mainstreaming clear information on roles, models, opportunities, as well as support available to RESCOs to facilitate the successful development and deployment of renewable energy infrastructure in the state.
Like the REA’s primary mandate on powering the unserved and the underserved, nationwide, the Agency has, over the years, sustained its role on sector coordination, in line with the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (ESPRA) 2005 as well as the sector’s new legislation, the 2023 Electricity Act, which saddles the REA with the responsibility of executing renewable energy project in rural areas and developing rural electricity projects, including renewable energy. According to Sections 142 and 143 of the Electricity Act 2023, the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), being implemented by the REA is designed specifically for the promotion, provision and support of renewable electricity investments and projects in the rural and underserved areas of Nigeria.
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda, PhD, CON reaffirmed his leadership commitment “to improve the lives and livelihood of indigenes of the State through the optimization of renewable energy solutions to power businesses, homes and communities. The Governor explained that beyond powering businesses through KASEDA, “the State is powering dreams and aspirations of Nigeria MSMEs, as MSMEs are the backbone of the economy”. He added that “by working with the REA, we aim to establish a sustainability framework that guarantees long-term functionality and effectiveness. Going forward, every project must include a clear sustainability structure, complete with local capacity, community ownership, and regular performance monitoring. With the support of the REA, we can achieve energy sufficiency, drive MSME development, and uplift the lives of our people. Our ongoing wind energy project in the State is a promising initiative, and we are eager to concession it. To expedite this process, we will rely on the REA's active role in providing technical advice and support to ensure the concession is concluded efficiently. His Excellency, the Governor, assured the Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs) of his administration’s commitment to ameliorating the sector’s pain points, while derisking the business landscape in Katsina for wider investments.
While setting the tone ahead of the productive conversations at the Roundtable, the Managing Director/CEO of REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu explained that “the REA has sustained its efforts on sector coordination, while exploiting data-driven strategies for renewable energy scale-up across Nigeria”. He added that “it has become important that the energy ecosystem in state governments are reinvigorated to fast-track the delivery of energy access interventions, nurture an enabling environment for private sector investments and strengthen the linkage between the States and RESCOs within the context of the Electricity Act”. The REA MD emphasized the central role of clean energy in the sustainability of MSMEs, assuring His Excellency, the Governor, of the agency’s readiness to catalyze investments in the energy sector while delivering the objectives of the Distributed Energy through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme.
The Director General of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), Hajiya Aisha Aminu Abdullahi-Malumfashi, while re-echoing the Executive Governor’s message, explained that “KASEDA has refocused its strategy towards powering MSMEs sustainably to drive youth participation in entrepreneurship”. She emphasized the central role of clean, sustainable energy in the acceleration of the State’s business climate, adding that “the Roundtable with the REA is coming at a critical time when KASEDA is exploring a range of result-oriented programmes and initiatives in line with the futuristic ideas of His Excellency, the Executive Governor, targeted at shaping the energy access landscape in Katsina State”.
