REA Pushes for Communities Ownership of Mini-Grids, Enlists 99 Co-operatives

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), an agency of the federal government tasked with connecting rural folk to electricity supplies, has initiated a new drive that could strengthen the capacity of rural communities to own and operate power supply systems in their localities, OGN reports.

Christened the Rural Electricity Users Cooperative Society (REUCS), the REA said it intends to use the new initiative to get rural communities across the country to partner with private firms to build and operate new power systems, mostly mini grids.

Already, the agency said it has registered 99 community cooperative societies comprising 22 in the northeast, 32 in the northwest, nine in the northcentral, 10 in the southwest, 11 in the southeast, and 15 in the south-south, to participate in this initiative.

Source: Energy Mix report