The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Nigeria’s rural economy by using electricity to drive agricultural productivity, as it partnered the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, ECOWAS and other stakeholders to advance the Productive Use of Energy, PUE agenda.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop on Productive Use of Energy in Abuja, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said rural electrification should go beyond expanding electricity access to creating economic opportunities, jobs and enterprise.
According to him, electricity becomes truly transformative when it powers irrigation, agro-processing, cold storage and other productive activities that improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen food security.
Tegbe described the Productive Use of Energy initiative as a strategic link between the energy, agriculture and industrial sectors, noting that inadequate cold storage, limited processing capacity and high energy costs continue to undermine agricultural productivity.
He urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, saying the initiative offers significant benefits for farmers, financial institutions, equipment manufacturers and government through increased productivity, investment and rural development.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said the initiative is aimed at building a sustainable system for powering agriculture and supporting micro, small and medium enterprises.
He disclosed that the REA’s Energising Agriculture Programme has developed a pipeline of more than 120 bankable projects, while the DARES programme has committed $250 million for standalone solar systems, $100 million for solar-as-a-business initiatives and $50 million for productive use equipment.
Representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the ECOWAS Commission also pledged support for the initiative, describing it as critical to achieving energy-driven agricultural transformation across Nigeria and the West African region.
Stakeholders expressed confidence that the workshop would lay the foundation for increased investment, innovation and stronger rural livelihoods through improved access to reliable energy.