Key points
- The Federal Government, in partnership with the UNDP and REA, has officially launched the Africa Minigrids Programme (AMP) in Nigeria.
- The technical assistance initiative is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to expand renewable energy to underserved areas.
- The initial phase consists of 23 solar-powered mini-grids designed to supply electricity to 50,000 people and 20,000 households.
- The project connects electricity directly to productive agricultural clusters across all six geopolitical zones to stimulate rural economies.
Main story
The Federal Government, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has inaugurated the Africa Minigrids Programme (AMP) in Nigeria.
The Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, while launching the initiative in Abuja, stated that achieving universal energy access is foundational to Nigeria’s economic transformation, industrial growth, and sustainable development. He noted that expanding clean, reliable, and affordable power within underserved rural communities remains essential to unlocking agricultural productivity, creating jobs, and revitalising local economies.
The AMP operates as a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-financed technical assistance initiative. It serves as a strategic enabler for REA’s Energising Agriculture Programme (EAP), which focuses on accelerating the transition to clean energy while boosting rural commerce.
“The programme represents more than the commissioning of mini-grid infrastructure. It represents the power of partnership, innovation, and our shared commitment to expanding sustainable energy across Nigeria. It marks the transformation of communities, the improvement of livelihoods, and the revitalisation of local economies.” — Mr. Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power
Tegbe disclosed that the first phase of the programme features 23 mini-grids that will provide electricity to 50,000 people, serve 20,000 households, and support thousands of rural businesses. He added that subsequent phases are already being planned, highlighting that Nigeria currently boasts its first 200-megawatt solar farm.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, remarked that sustainable development remains out of reach without sustainable energy. He emphasized that mini-grids function as comprehensive development solutions rather than just isolated energy projects.
UNDP Regional Director for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa, stated that the programme signals a critical shift away from fragmented, grant-funded initiatives toward scalable, private-sector-driven investments. She noted that Africa has a unique opportunity to leapfrog traditional fossil-fuel energy systems to lead in renewable energy deployment.
Further validating this economic impact, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, stated that the 23 AMP projects prove energy is a core economic infrastructure capable of driving productivity, investment, and inclusive growth.
Abba Aliyu, Managing Director and CEO of the REA, described electricity as the backbone of modern society. He explained that the AMP model leverages public funding to successfully attract private sector investment, deploying standardized, solar-powered networks directly to productive agricultural clusters across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The issues
Sub-Saharan Africa has long struggled with fragmented, short-term energy interventions that collapse once grant cycles end. The AMP addresses this systemic vulnerability by shifting from charity-dependent models to commercially viable, private-sector-led investments. By targeting agrarian clusters, the initiative aims to solve two structural economic bottlenecks simultaneously: chronic rural energy poverty and high agricultural processing costs driven by expensive fossil fuels.
What’s being said
“Without sustainable energy, sustainable development remains out of reach.” — Mohammed Fall, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria
What’s next
Following the rollout of the initial 23 solar mini-grids, the REA and UNDP will begin executing the next planned phases of the rollout, while monitoring the economic output of the newly electrified agricultural hubs to scale private capital commitments.
Bottom line
The launch of the Africa Minigrids Programme shifts Nigeria’s rural electrification strategy toward scalable, solar-powered economic infrastructure, directly linking renewable energy access to agricultural productivity and private sector expansion.
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