FG, REA, ECOWAS Unite to Boost Agriculture Through Productive Energy Use, Rural Electrification

FG, REA, ECOWAS Unite to Boost Agriculture Through Productive Energy Use, Rural Electrification

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming Nigeria's rural economy by deploying electricity to drive agricultural productivity, as the Ministry of Power, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the ECOWAS Commission pledged closer collaboration to expand the productive use of energy across the country's agricultural value chain.

ABUJA – The Honourable Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has declared that rural electrification must go beyond connecting communities to the national grid, stressing that it should create economic opportunities, stimulate enterprise and improve livelihoods.

Speaking at the Stakeholders' Engagement Workshop on Productive Use of Energy (PUE) held in Abuja on Thursday, Tegbe said the Federal Government is committed to using reliable energy as a catalyst for agricultural transformation, food security, industrialisation and job creation.

The workshop brought together government agencies, development partners, financial institutions, manufacturers, farmers' associations and members of the diplomatic community to develop a coordinated strategy for powering agricultural productivity across Nigeria.

According to the Minister, the success of rural electrification should no longer be measured solely by the amount of electricity generated or the number of households connected.

"Electricity becomes truly transformational only when it powers productivity—whether it enables a farmer to irrigate more land, a rice mill to process more produce, a cold room to preserve fish and vegetables, or young entrepreneurs to establish agro-processing businesses within their communities," he said.

Tegbe described the Productive Use of Energy initiative as a strategic platform that brings together the energy, agriculture, industrialisation, financial inclusion and food security sectors. He noted that Nigeria continues to suffer significant post-harvest losses due to inadequate cold storage facilities, limited processing capacity and the high cost of energy-intensive equipment.

He added that expanding productive energy use presents strong economic opportunities for farmers through lower operating costs, financial institutions through bankable investments, manufacturers through increased domestic demand and government through enhanced rural development and higher revenue generation.

The Minister urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and leave the engagement with renewed confidence in Nigeria's capacity to become a continental leader in the productive use of energy.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said the engagement was designed to build a sustainable ecosystem rather than execute a one-off intervention.

Aliyu emphasised that smallholder farmers and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) remain central to Nigeria's food production system.

Highlighting the agency's achievements, he disclosed that the REA's Energizing Agriculture Programme has developed a pipeline of more than 120 bankable project sites across the country.

He further revealed that the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme has committed 250 million dollars to standalone solar systems, 100 million dollars to solar-as-a-business initiatives and 50 million dollars for productive use equipment.

Also speaking, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reiterated the ministry's commitment to aligning its agricultural development priorities with the Productive Use of Energy agenda.

A representative of the ECOWAS Commission also reaffirmed the regional body's support for Nigeria's efforts, describing the initiative as a key component of West Africa's broader strategy to drive agricultural transformation through sustainable energy.

Organisers said the workshop is the first in a series of stakeholder engagements that will focus on financing mechanisms, technology standards and deployment strategies for productive use equipment.

Participants expressed optimism that the collaboration between the Federal Government, REA, ECOWAS, development partners and the private sector would translate into increased investment, technological innovation and improved incomes for farmers and rural communities across Nigeria.