Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has outlined plans to add another 5 megawatts of solar generation using the Federal Government’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Speaking on Wednesday as authorities introduced a 504 kilowatt mini-grid in Epe, Lagos State, Tegbe said the project is intended to strengthen the nation’s overall power availability while also serving as a complement to the main grid.
Tegbe noted that Nigeria’s national transmission and distribution system currently delivers electricity in the range of 3,700 MW to 4,700 MW, which must meet the needs of more than 250 million people. Against that backdrop, he said the mini-grid rollout is designed to enhance supply reliability for communities and help bridge gaps where grid access remains limited.
The minister described the initiative as part of the federal government’s Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme, calling it among the more innovative renewable energy efforts underway in the country. He added that decentralized renewable power can be integrated alongside existing distribution networks, improving electricity dependability across Nigeria rather than relying solely on centralised generation.
“The commissioning of this 504kW interconnected mini-grid marks another important milestone in our collective effort to provide reliable and sustainable electricity for productive use. Recognising the tremendous economic potential of this community and the increasing demand for reliable electricity, the Rural Electrification Agency is already working towards the deployment of an additional 5 MW of renewable energy capacity within Epe and its surrounding economic clusters,” Tegbe said.
