The Association of Rural Electrification Contractors of Nigeria (ARECON) have urged the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, to decisively pay extra attention to the challenges in Nigeria’s rural electricity sector when he assumes office on May 29th.
This is as the association also debunked reports of misdoings by the MD of the Rural Electrification Agency, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad over allegations bordering on conflict of interest of his position as the MD/CEO of REA.
A statement released by the ARECON, they maintain that since 2020, the Rural Electrification Agency, under its present leadership, has approached the business of electrification differently, through a 5 – year strategy document that has strengthened the internal workings of the Agency, by consistently improving the Agency’s project delivery vehicles.
The REA was established to work in line with the Federal Government’s objective on the delivery of clean, sustainable energy infrastructure nationwide, under the Federal Ministry of Power.
However, in recent weeks, allegations of fraud and conflict of interest have been recounted against the Managing Director, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad.
ARECON said in 2022, the REA officially hit and crossed the 1 million connections milestone through the deployment of Standalone Solar Home Systems (SHS) for improved energy access across Nigeria.
According to ARECON, the objective of the “Standalone Solar Home Systems for Households and Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)” component of the NEP is to help millions of unserved and underserved Nigerian households and MSMEs access better energy services at an affordable cost, via stand – alone solar systems through private sector companies.
The target beneficiaries are people in off – grid locations or undeserved customers that have inefficient and unreliable energy access.
ARECON said it also believe that for the tempo to be sustained in the realization of sustainable electricity across Nigeria, as the REA continues the pursuit of its vision and mandate of achieving universal access to affordable and sustainable electricity, it is imperative for paid elements to abstain from bearing false allegations against the MD of REA.
They also call for his continued efforts at improving the quality of life and economic opportunities for unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria, through his leadership at REA.
