REA, Military Collaborate on N100bn Solar Initiative for Public Institutions
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has held a project initiation and planning meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa on how the military can key into the new N100 billion National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative (NPSSI).
Specifically, the event which took place at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, a statement from the REA said, was to explore potential collaboration between the agency and the Nigerian Armed Forces in the deployment of solar power to military formations.
Speaking during the meeting, Aliyu explained that the NPSSI is a federal government–approved programme with an initial funding of N100 billion, designed to replace diesel generators in public institutions with sustainable solar power systems, including schools, hospitals, government offices, and other critical facilities.
“The NPSSI is a collaborative effort led by the REA in partnership with the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp), and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI). Our goal is to cut energy costs, improve reliability, and advance Nigeria’s clean energy transition,” Aliyu said.
Highlighting the relevance to the Armed Forces, Aliyu noted that several military formations had already expressed interest in solar interventions, emphasising the importance of adopting a unified and strategic approach to ensure widespread benefits across the military formations.
He further explained that for military formations to participate, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the military leadership would be required, stressing that the initiative is a pay-for-service model to ensure long-term sustainability.
Similar agreements, he said, have already been signed with the Police Trust Fund (PTF), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
In response, Musa welcomed the proposal and expressed appreciation for the REA’s outreach, describing it as a timely intervention.
“This is a timely and much-needed intervention. Several critical formations are in dire need of reliable power supply. I will set up a military team to work closely with the REA to identify priority locations and develop a clear implementation plan,” he added.
Both parties also discussed leveraging the Nigerian Army Engineers and Logistics Unit to support deployment, installation, and maintenance of the solar systems. This proposal, according to the statement, will be further reviewed by a joint REA–Military Solar Committee to be established following the meeting.
The REA stated that the visit underscored the federal government’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions, as well as its drive to expand renewable energy access to critical public infrastructure across Nigeria.
