The Federal Government of Nigeria has entered into a major partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to bring reliable, affordable electricity to Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) across the country. Formally signed in Abuja, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a collaborative framework for technical assessments, planning, and energy deployment under the REA's Desert to Power initiative. The initiative aims to tackle one of the agricultural sector's most persistent bottlenecks: unreliable power supply which has long hindered agro-processing, worsened post-harvest losses, and discouraged private sector investment.
By deploying mini-grid infrastructure, the partnership is projected to reach approximately 25,000 households, 13 healthcare facilities, and more than 103,000 individuals per designated processing zone. Speaking on behalf of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Deputy Chief of Staff Ibrahim Hadejia emphasized that sustainable, clean energy is essential to unlocking Nigeria's full agricultural potential and fostering rural industrialization. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari highlighted the initiative as a crucial step toward bolstering farmer livelihoods under the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda, while REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu noted that the agency is well-positioned for execution, having already completed 424 mini-grid projects across Nigeria with another 693 currently under construction.
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