The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, recently held a project initiation and planning meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, to discuss the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative (NPSSI) .
The meeting also explored potential collaboration between the REA and the Nigerian Armed Forces in the deployment of solar power to Military formations,according to a statement.
At the meeting, Dr. Aliyu explained that the NPSSI is a Federal Government–approved programme with an initial funding of ₦100 billion, designed to replace diesel generators in public institutions with sustainable solar power systems.
Target beneficiaries, he said, include schools, hospitals, government offices, and other critical facilities in the country.
He added:“The NPSSI is a collaborative effort led by the REA in partnership with the Budget Office of the Federation, Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp), and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) .Our goal is to cut energy costs, improve reliability, and advance Nigeria’s clean energy transition.”
Speaking on the relevance to the Armed Forces, Dr. Aliyu noted that several military formations had already expressed interest in solar interventions.
He emphasized the import of adopting a unified and strategic approach to ensure widespread benefits across the military formations”, hence the visit to the Chief of Defense Staff.
He said: “Gor military formations to participate, an MOU with the military leadership would be required, stressing that the initiative is a pay-for-service model to ensure long-term sustainability. Similar agreements have already been signed with the Police Trust Fund, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Nigerian Correctional Service”.
General Musa welcomed the proposal and expressed appreciation for the REA’s outreach,saying the development is a timely and much-needed intervention.
He said:”Several critical formations are in dire need of reliable power supply. I will set up a military team to work closely with the REA to identify priority locations and develop a clear implementation plan.”
