JUST IN: President Tinubu Announces Fresh Appointment

 President Bola Tinubu has appointed Abba Aliyu as the new Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency.

Effective from January 23, 2025, this appointment is for an initial four-year term, as stated in a release from the State House on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Prior to this appointment, Aliyu had been serving as the agency’s acting Managing Director and brings over 20 years of experience in energy and organisational development across both the private and public sectors.

“He has held significant leadership positions in the on-grid and off-grid power sectors, as well as in Nigeria’s water resources and transportation sectors,” the statement noted.

President Tinubu is hopeful that Aliyu will apply his extensive expertise to advance the REA’s mission of delivering reliable electric power to rural communities, aligning with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda for sustainable energy and power.

Previously, Aliyu held various key roles, including Head of the Project Management Unit at the Nigeria Electrification Project, General Manager for Corporate Services, Projects, and Research, and Deputy General Manager at Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading PLC.

Following his presentation on the REA’s 2024 budget performance and the projections in the 2025 Appropriation Bill, Aliyu highlighted the provision of solar-powered energy to public institutions as a central focus for the agency in the coming fiscal year, as reported by PUNCH Online.

“We presented the 2025 budget proposal, the largest in REA’s history. A major aspect of our 2025 budget is the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative, championed by President Bola Tinubu, with a proposal of N100bn allocated,” he remarked, among other points.

While reflecting on the agency’s key achievements over the past year, Aliyu noted, “In terms of the 2024 budget performance, REA executed numerous projects. The most notable were the grid extensions and the deployment of mini-grids designed for productive use, specifically targeted in agricultural areas.

“We also rolled out solar home systems, with a substantial number deployed in 2024