FG Launches ₦100bn Solar Initiative To Power Public Institutions

The Federal Government, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has launched the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative (NPSSI), a flagship programme aimed at delivering clean, distributed solar power to public institutions across the country.

The initiative, formally unveiled on Thursday at the Budget Office of the Federation in Abuja, is the product of a Memorandum of Understanding between the REA, the Budget Office, Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp), and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).

Targeting schools, hospitals, security posts, government offices, and other critical infrastructure, the NPSSI seeks to replace diesel generators with reliable solar solutions, cut public sector electricity costs, and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

A statement from the REA in Abuja on Friday quoted the agency’s Managing Director/CEO of the REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, describing the NPSSI as part of a broader strategy to position Nigeria as Africa’s renewable energy hub.

Aliyu said it will promote innovation, local manufacturing, and sustainable financing models.

“What makes this truly remarkable is the collaborative spirit behind it. We are witnessing a new era of inter-agency synergy, driven by creativity, fiscal responsibility, and a shared determination to reduce the cost of governance while meeting our national energy transition goals.

“Phase 0 of the NPSSI is backed by ₦100bn in Federal Government funding. Subsequent phases will adopt blended financing models to attract local and international private capital — without sovereign guarantees or contingent liabilities”, he said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, said the project will help close Nigeria’s long-standing energy gap while improving fiscal efficiency in public service delivery.

He said solarisation has come of age as a necessity, adding that public institutions have demonstrated the capacity to pay for clean, sustainable power, which enhances bankability in the capital market.

On his part, InfraCorp’s MD/CEO, Dr. Lazarus Angbazo, hailed the NPSSI as a model for the future of infrastructure financing in Nigeria.

He stated that the energy sector must move beyond reliance on government funding alone.

Representing MOFI’s MD, Dr. Armstrong Takang, the Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Femi Ogunseinde, said Nigeria’s energy mix remained unfairly weighted on fossil fuels.

He stressed the need for
business models that lower power costs while expanding access without over-reliance on sovereign guarantees.

FG Launches ₦100bn Solar Initiative To Power Public Institutions is first published on The Whistler Newspaper