The Federal Government is set to kick off a transformative $750 million rural electrification project funded by the World Bank in November. This initiative aims to provide more than 17.5 million Nigerians with new or improved access to electricity through innovative renewable energy solutions.

Abba Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), revealed the project’s details during a Thursday appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. He emphasized the significance of the initiative, which is expected to enhance electricity access across the country.

Back in December 2023, the World Bank approved the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up project, which is financed through a $750 million credit from the International Development Association. This funding will also attract over $1 billion in private investment and additional support from various development partners.

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Key contributors include $100 million from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and $200 million from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Other partners involved in the project are the United States Agency for International Development, the German Development Agency, SEforAll, and the African Development Bank.

Although the approval was made ten months ago, Aliyu noted that implementation will finally begin next month but did not specify the reasons for the previous delays. The project is designed to connect approximately three million beneficiaries through isolated mini-grids, 1.5 million through interconnected mini-grids, and 12 million through a combination of merged grids and solar stand-alone systems.

“This project, called the Distributed Renewable Energy Scale-up project, is one of the most ambitious in the world, especially when compared to similar initiatives in India that successfully brought electricity to millions,” Aliyu explained.

The project is anticipated to span five years, building on previous successes from related projects funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, which totaled $550 million.