A consumer advocacy group has criticized moves by the National Assembly to create a new agency for rural electrification, describing it as a duplication of the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, and self-serving.
The President of the Nigeria Consumer Protection Network, Mr. Kunle Kola Olubiyo, stated this in a statement issued in Abuja.
The Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to establish the National Authority for Renewable Energy, NARE, is currently before the National Assembly
Olubiyo said the effort by the National Assembly amounts to duplication of efforts and is not in the overall public or national interest.
According to him, in the last four years, the REA has focused on funding clean energy generation through renewable energy development within the national energy mix, using modern high technology.
He maintained that what is expected of the National Ass is to strengthen the governance, funding and institutional capacity of the REA, particularly at a time when there are noticeable improvements in its Public Private Partnership, PPP, funding model.
He noted that there has been an upsurge of private sector capital from Development Finance Institutions, commercial banks, development partners, venture capital, local investments and Foreign Direct Investment into the REA, based on increased public and investor confidence.
To him, the agency has also improved on accountability, transparency, visibility and purposeful leadership.
He said the REA needs to mainstream its communication strategy by directly and through non-state actors showcasing verifiable data of achievements and ongoing projects.
He also that creating a new agency aimed at doing the same thing would serve as a dumping ground for constituency projects and should not be a priority.
Olubiyo stated thay the trajectory of organizing public hearings labelled as investigative, which often end without substance, should be avoided.
He added that what is needed is increased support for the private sector funding model being pursued by the REA in addition to the Consumer Assistance Fund, not additional layers that increase cost of governance and cost of doing business.
He described the move to create a new agency as unsolicited, unsavoury and unpatriotic.
He maintained that the role of the REA in expanding universal access to energy and reducing energy poverty should be of utmost importance to all well-meaning Nigerians.
