The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has called for stronger coordination among government agencies, state governments, development partners, private operators and other stakeholders to accelerate electricity access across Nigeria.

The Managing Director of the REA, Dr Abba Abubakar Aliyu, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the official relaunch of the Off-Grid Stakeholder Coordination and Partnership Forum.

Aliyu said greater collaboration was necessary to prevent duplication of electricity projects, optimise limited resources and ensure that interventions reached communities and Nigerians with the greatest need for access to electricity.

According to him, an analysis of the 2024 and 2025 Federal Government budgets using Artificial Intelligence showed that several government institutions were implementing power-related projects, making stronger coordination across the sector increasingly important.

He noted that some of the institutions involved in electricity-related projects were not traditionally regarded as major players in the power sector.

Aliyu warned that failing to bring state governments into a coordinated national framework could undermine efforts to expand electricity access.

“If we continue to work the way we currently do without bringing the states into this conversation and coordination, I can tell you that we will simply be planning to fail.”

The REA boss disclosed that the agency had itself encountered instances where projects being implemented under different programmes overlapped in the same locations.

He said the challenge had become more critical as funding available to the electricity sector continued to decline, stressing the need for stakeholders to share data and coordinate interventions.

Aliyu advocated the creation of a centralised sector data platform that would enable stakeholders to identify existing projects, prevent duplication and determine locations where new interventions were most needed.

FG moves to strengthen off-grid coordination
In his keynote address, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, represented by his Chief of Staff, Doyin Adelabu, identified fragmentation as a major obstacle to effective electricity project delivery.

Tegbe said the Federal Government was establishing a standing Off-Grid Coordination Secretariat to track commitments and risks, convene issue-based working groups and generate shared market intelligence.

He described poor coordination as a hidden cost to the sector, noting that duplication of efforts and missed investment opportunities could slow the delivery of electricity to underserved communities.

The minister urged development partners, financiers, private operators, state governments and civil society organisations to nominate focal points, share relevant data and commitments, and participate actively in the working groups.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Power would continue to provide policy direction through the National Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan while supporting the development of state electricity markets under the Electricity Act.

REA calls for continuous stakeholder engagement
The Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Fund, Doris Uboh-Ogunkoya, said coordination should become a continuous function rather than an activity restricted to periodic stakeholder meetings.

She said the Off-Grid Coordination Secretariat would provide a mechanism for stakeholders to identify gaps, address implementation bottlenecks and monitor commitments.

“The aim is not simply to hold more meetings, but to align our efforts, identify gaps, address bottlenecks, and follow through on commitments between meetings,” she said.

Also speaking at the forum, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Nigeria representative, Ikenna-Donald Ofoegbu, urged stakeholders to broaden the way the success of off-grid electricity projects was measured.

Ofoegbu said while the number of mini-grids installed, solar home systems deployed and connections delivered remained important indicators, stakeholders should pay greater attention to what happens after communities gain access to electricity.

He called for more emphasis on productive use of electricity, innovative financing mechanisms, sustainability and the development of local capacity.

According to him, the sector needs to move from individual successful interventions to projects capable of achieving scale, from connections to productive economic activities, and from donor-supported projects to investable markets.

Over 7.5 million Nigerians gain electricity access through off-grid projects
The Off-Grid Stakeholder Coordination and Partnership Forum began as a donor roundtable in April 2017 and is now being relaunched under a new coordination framework.

The Federal Government said more than 7.5 million Nigerians had gained electricity access through over 200 solar hybrid mini-grids and approximately 1.8 million solar home system connections.

It added that the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up programme is targeting an additional 17 million Nigerians and about 465 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity.

Nigeria is also participating in the broader Mission 300 initiative, which aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

The renewed coordination framework is expected to bring government institutions, state authorities, development partners, private-sector operators, financiers and civil society organisations into a more integrated approach to expanding electricity access, particularly in underserved and unserved communities across the country.

The Nigeria Association of Auctioneers, Jigawa State chapter, has called for a strategic partnership with the state government to strengthen the disposal of government assets, block revenue leakages and improve internally generated revenue.

The association made the request during a courtesy visit to the Jigawa State Head of Service, Muhammad Dagaceri, on Friday in Dutse.

Chairman of the association in Jigawa, Abubakar Abdullahi, said closer collaboration between auctioneers and the government would promote transparency in the auctioning of state-owned assets and ensure that proceeds from such sales were fully remitted into government coffers.

Abdullahi said the proposed partnership would also ensure that government assets earmarked for disposal were sold through competitive processes capable of securing better value for the state.

According to him, professional auctioneers could help the government eliminate leakages by ensuring that assets were properly valued, competitively auctioned and that proceeds were accounted for.

He said, “Our collaboration will ensure that state assets are auctioned efficiently, securing optimal deals, and ensuring all proceeds are remitted directly to state coffers.”

The chairman further highlighted the contribution of auctioneers to the economic development of Jigawa State, saying members had over the years supported efforts aimed at building a strong and sustainable economy.

He appealed to the state government to formally recognise auctioneers as key stakeholders in the asset disposal process, arguing that their professional and transparent approach would improve the outcome of government auctions.

Abdullahi also said the association had regained unity after previous divisions, describing the development as important to the effective discharge of its responsibilities.

“This can be achieved when the association is united, and I want to assure you that the association is now one in Jigawa State,” he said.

He added, “We are appealing for the government to accept auctioneers as partners in ensuring that all State assets auctioned get a better deal and the monies realised from the sales get to the coffers of the state government.”

The chairman also expressed the association’s political support for Governor Umar Namadi, saying its members were working with stakeholders at the grassroots and would support the governor’s bid for a second term.

Responding, the Head of Service, Muhammad Dagaceri, commended the auctioneers for their initiative and assured them of the state government’s willingness to work with the association.

Dagaceri said the administration of Governor Umar Namadi was committed to strengthening transparency and accountability while improving the state’s revenue base.

He welcomed the renewed unity among members of the association, describing it as essential to maintaining transparency in the auction process.

“The unity of members of the association is very critical in ensuring that transparency and accountability is in place while discharging their responsibilities,” he said.

The Head of Service noted that a united association would contribute to efforts to block revenue leakages, improve public confidence and strengthen the integrity of the state’s asset disposal process.

He said the Namadi administration would continue to partner with professional bodies that could contribute to transparency, accountability and increased revenue generation for the development of Jigawa State.

Dagaceri urged the auctioneers to sustain their unity and adhere strictly to professional ethics as the government intensifies efforts to improve revenue generation across the state.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria has called for stronger collaboration between traditional institutions and government intervention agencies to promote food security, wealth creation and sustainable national development.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Charles Odii, made the call in a keynote address delivered at the 2026 Ulefunta Annual Lecture in Akure, Ondo State, on Wednesday.

The lecture, titled “Food Security, Wealth Creation and National Development:

Building Strategic Partnerships Between Traditional Institutions and Intervention Agencies,” focused on the need to strengthen grassroots participation in government development programmes.

Odii said government policies and intervention programmes often failed to adequately address the needs of communities when they were designed without sufficient input from people at the grassroots.

He stressed that traditional rulers and community leaders possessed valuable knowledge about their communities, including local customs, land use, economic opportunities and development challenges.

According to him, such knowledge should form part of government planning and implementation processes.

“We cannot sit in Abuja and make policies for people at the rural and community level.

For these policies to work, we must first involve community owners, community leaders and stakeholders in the design.”

He identified community participation, transparency, impact measurement, inclusion and sustainability as critical factors for the success of government intervention programmes.

The SMEDAN boss disclosed that the agency had launched its Community Enterprise Development Programme to strengthen the participation of traditional rulers and community leaders in enterprise development.

He explained that the programme was designed to involve traditional institutions throughout the life cycle of development projects rather than bringing them into the process after major decisions had already been taken.

Odii said traditional institutions could assist government agencies in mobilising farmers, artisans, women and youths, identifying viable economic opportunities and promoting community ownership of development initiatives.

He also called for a transformation of agriculture from subsistence farming to commercially viable enterprises through investment across the agricultural value chain.

He listed processing, packaging, logistics, technology and marketing among areas requiring greater attention to unlock the economic potential of agriculture.

Traditional rulers to serve as bridge
In his remarks, the Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, said the initiative was aimed at bridging the gap between traditional institutions and government intervention agencies.

The monarch said the programme would expose rural dwellers, farmers and young entrepreneurs to funding opportunities and other government-supported development initiatives.

He noted that traditional institutions were strategically positioned to serve as a bridge between intervention agencies and people at the grassroots.

According to him, farmers’ associations, community leaders and traditional chiefs participating in the programme had been mobilised to take relevant information and opportunities back to their communities.

The monarch also described the Ulefunta Festival as an annual socio-cultural reunion featuring tourism and cultural activities, stressing that the celebration was devoid of fetish practices.

Earlier, the Chairman of the 2026 Ulefunta Festival Committee, Olu Adekunle Ajanaku, said the colloquium was organised to sensitise rural residents, farmers and young entrepreneurs to government funding opportunities and development programmes.

Ajanaku said the festival had continued to attract global attention through its promotion of the cultural values, social life and aspirations of the people.

He expressed optimism that the renewed spirit of unity among the three Akure-speaking local government areas would eventually lead to the establishment of the Akure People’s Central Council and Akure Traditional Council.