The Rural Electrification Agency, REA, says it will soon provide 24,500 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with energy-efficient electricity through the Productive Use of Equipment (PUE) appliances.

In a statement in Abuja, the Nation’s capital, the REA, through its Agency, the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) said the project is aimed ensuring that 1,050,000 people have improved access to energy services.

It also disclosed that PUE is part of its efforts to ensure that rural and underserved communities have unhindered access to energy-efficient and electricity-productive equipment.

Speaking during the grant agreement signing of the use of the equipment and appliance, the Rural Electrification Agency’s Managing Director, Salihijo Ahmad, said that the project is being supported by the African Development Bank (ADB).

He explained that the Productive Use of Equipment, PUE would drive the sustainability of off-grid energy infrastructure across communities in Nigeria.

”The PUE will encourage the use of low-cost productive appliances in unserved and underserved communities to improve rural productivity, economic growth and also rural development,”

“We are here for the grant agreement signing for the productive use appliances component of the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) under the African Development Bank funding stream. 

“At REA, our mandate is to provide access to electricity to unserved and underserved households and MSMEs in rural communities of Nigeria.”

He further explained that the Agency, from inception, has continued to collaborate and support private-sector participation in its dedication and commitment to achieve this mandate.

“Beyond keeping the lights on, REA deliberately optimised the productive use of equipment and appliances to catalyse socio-economic development in off-grid communities”

“We understand how important it is for beneficiaries of off-grid technologies to appreciate the windows of possibilities sustainable energy presents. This is why this component is very important,” he emphasised.

According to him, NEP, which is funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, is to increase access to electricity services to unserved and underserved households.

The REA boss disclosed that the event marks a milestone in implementing the ADB-funded NEP, where energy access companies are supported through the energy-efficient productive use subsidy programme, pointing out that it also encourages the use of low-cost productive use appliances at unserved and underserved communities in order to improve rural productivity, economic growth and also rural employment.

He appreciated the energy access companies for their continuous cooperation, urging them to align fully with the impactful objectives of the programme in order to achieve transformative change.