Photo caption: Managing Director, REA, Abba Aliyu
The Rural Electrification Agency has said that many rural communities across Nigeria now enjoy a stable electricity supply through completed mini-grid projects, with some residents paying higher tariffs than Band A customers.
Managing Director of the agency, Abba Aliyu, made this known on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme.
He explained that the electricity model deployed in rural areas had not only provided reliable supply but also demonstrated the willingness of rural dwellers to pay for power.
“There are communities, there are rural areas that pay more tariffs than Band A customers.
“There are areas where the tariff is close to N250 and N280,” Aliyu said.
He noted that the amount rural communities are charged depends on the total cost of infrastructure deployed by the agency.
According to him, the system allows flexibility, with some locations paying less than Band A customers while others pay significantly higher.
“They pay for their electricity and they enjoy it, but there are other areas where the tariff is less than Band A.
“It’s subjective on the total cost of infrastructure we deploy within those communities,” he explained.
The REA boss added that solar energy has proven to be a practical and sustainable model for providing power to rural areas.
According to Channels TV, he further disclosed that the agency has successfully completed scores of mini-grids and interconnected mini-grids for universities and general hospitals across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
