Nigeria Tops Global Power Deficit with 90m in Darkness — REA

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Engr. Abba Aliyu, has revealed that Nigeria has the world’s largest population without electricity, with about 90 million citizens still living in darkness.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Aliyu described the figure as alarming but insisted that the federal government, in partnership with the private sector, was taking bold steps to close the energy gap.

“Nigeria has the highest number of people without access to electricity, and this is the first time that I am seeing a government dealing with it. In the world, apart from India, there is no government that has devised a structure to get people out of electricity poverty like we are doing now,” he stated.

Aliyu explained that the REA has already provided electricity access to over 70 million Nigerians through various initiatives.

He added that new projects are underway to further reduce the deficit.

“We have one programme targeting 17.5 million people. In three years, that number will be out of darkness. The president’s visit to Japan will also provide electricity to another 1.83 million Nigerians. We are working on the E-Heart project, which will cover 16 million, though financing is still a challenge,” he said.

The REA boss maintained that while the scale of electricity poverty remains daunting, ongoing projects and international partnerships are steadily expanding power access across the country.