Former Ekiti governor promises political will, unprecedented results as new board takes charge of rural electrification agency
By Suleiman Aremu | Solaremnews
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has been inaugurated as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), with a pledge to provide the political will and leadership required to take the agency to greater heights.
Fayose was inaugurated alongside other members of the REA Governing Board by the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, in Abuja on Friday, August 7, 2026.
The inauguration followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s appointment of Fayose as Chairman of the REA Board as part of a wider restructuring of the leadership of federal agencies.
The President had appointed Fayose alongside Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar and Engineer Ilyasu Ibrahim Makinta as members and non-executive directors of the REA Board. The incumbent Director-General of the agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and three previously appointed Executive Directors are also members of the board.
Speaking after his inauguration, Fayose expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for finding him and other members of the board worthy of serving the country, promising that the new board would work to deliver meaningful results.
The former governor said his mission was to take the REA to greater heights by providing the political will necessary to address challenges affecting electricity access, particularly at the grassroots.
Fayose said many of the challenges confronting Nigeria’s power sector were felt most directly at the community level, stressing that the responsibility of the new board went beyond simply providing electricity.
He said the board would also focus on ensuring that Nigerians feel the impact of energy provision in their communities.
Fayose emphasised that the assignment was broader than generating or supplying electricity, noting that the ultimate objective should be to improve the lives of Nigerians by ensuring that electricity reaches the people who need it.
He expressed confidence that when the agency succeeds in delivering tangible benefits to communities, the people would appreciate the impact of its interventions.
The inauguration marked the formal commencement of the new board’s responsibility for providing strategic direction and oversight to the REA, an agency established to promote electricity access in rural and underserved communities across Nigeria.
The development comes at a time when the Federal Government is increasingly focusing on expanding electricity access through off-grid solutions, including renewable energy and mini-grid projects, particularly in communities that remain inadequately served by the national grid.
Earlier at the inauguration, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the country’s electricity sector was moving beyond the traditional measurement of power generation in kilowatts and megawatts towards a greater emphasis on powering communities.
Tegbe said the focus should increasingly be on how electricity can reach communities and improve the lives and economic activities of Nigerians.
His position aligns with the broader objective of the REA, which is responsible for driving rural electrification initiatives and deploying alternative electricity solutions to communities that are not adequately served by conventional grid infrastructure.
The Minister’s remarks also underline the Federal Government’s growing emphasis on electricity as an enabler of economic development rather than merely a measure of power generation capacity.
With Fayose now heading the Governing Board, attention is expected to focus on how the agency can accelerate electricity delivery to underserved communities and ensure that rural electrification projects translate into measurable improvements in economic and social activities.
The REA Director-General, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, also expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve, assuring that the agency would continue its efforts to extend electricity to both served and underserved communities.
Fayose, who served as Ekiti State governor in two separate terms, now brings his political and administrative experience to the Federal Government’s rural electrification programme.
His appointment has also attracted attention because of his political background, having previously been a prominent figure in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. His acceptance of the federal appointment under President Tinubu has therefore added a political dimension to his new national assignment.
However, the former governor’s immediate task at the REA will be to work with the agency’s management and other board members to provide effective policy direction and ensure that the agency’s programmes achieve their intended impact.
The board is expected to work with the Ministry of Power, state governments, private-sector participants, development partners and communities to improve electricity access, particularly in areas where extending conventional grid infrastructure remains challenging.
Fayose’s inauguration therefore marks the beginning of a new phase for the REA Governing Board, with the former governor pledging to deploy the political will required to support the agency’s mandate and produce what he described as unprecedented results.
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