The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has inaugurated the newly constituted Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), charging members to ensure that their decisions translate into tangible improvements in the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.
Tegbe gave the charge in Abuja during the inauguration ceremony attended by the Permanent Secretary, the Board Chairman, Ayodele Fayose, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of REA, other board members and senior management of the ministry.
The minister said the constitution of the board was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening governance, accountability and performance across public institutions.
He described REA as a critical institution for expanding economic opportunities through access to electricity, stressing that every mini-grid, solar home system and electrified market, school, healthcare centre or farm represents an investment in human capital and economic inclusion.
Tegbe cited the Agency’s ongoing programmes, including the Energizing Education, Economies and Agriculture programmes and the Africa Mini-Grids Programme, as examples of efforts aimed at using electricity to drive development.
He noted that the board was constituted pursuant to Section 130 of the Electricity Act and assumed office at a critical period in the development of the Agency and the power sector.
On governance, Tegbe urged the board to focus on strategic direction and oversight while allowing management to handle the day-to-day operations of the Agency.
He explained that the board would meet quarterly to review performance, while management would retain operational flexibility between meetings, subject to accountability and proper oversight.
The minister commended the board chairman, Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State, and welcomed other members of the governing board.
He assured the board of the ministry’s continued support and partnership, describing electricity as a key instrument for promoting inclusion, expanding opportunities and improving prosperity.
Responding on behalf of the board, Fayose said President Tinubu’s appointment of Tegbe as Minister of Power demonstrated the administration’s seriousness about finding a lasting solution to Nigeria’s electricity challenges.
He described Tegbe as a technocrat with strong technical and managerial capabilities, which he said had contributed to a positive turning point in the power sector.
Fayose pledged the board’s readiness to work with the minister and other stakeholders to advance the objectives of the Rural Electrification Agency and contribute to the transformation of Nigeria’s power sector.