At the end of a sunbaked drive on a side street in central Abuja sits the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). A sign at its entrance reads: ‘To provide access to reliable electric power for rural communities and unserved Nigerians.’ In the agency’s courtyard, logos of its development partners – the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the European Union – testify to the international collaboration supporting Nigeria’s electrification drive. In one building is a Korean-funded control centre for managing ‘mini-grids’.
Nigeria is sparking renewable solutions to its energy crisis
Patrick Schröder and Muyiwa Oyinlola visit a project using solar-powered ‘mini-grids’ to bring electricity to rural communities with local know-how and Chinese technology.
The World Today
Published 15 December 2025 — 3 minute READ
Image — A solar energy facility where mobile phone batteries are recharged in Agboda village in Nigeria’s Nassarawa state. Photo: Kola Sulaimon/ AFP via Getty Images.
