President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose as the Chairman of the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), alongside the appointment of new board members for the agency. The appointments form part of the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen the governance and oversight of institutions responsible for expanding electricity access, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
According to a statement issued by the Presidency, the newly constituted board is expected to provide strategic direction for the REA as it implements programmes aimed at improving rural electrification through grid expansion, renewable energy projects and other off-grid solutions. The agency plays a key role in extending electricity to communities that remain outside Nigeria’s national grid.
Fayose, who served as Governor of Ekiti State between 2003 and 2006, and again from 2014 to 2018, now assumes responsibility for leading the board at a time when millions of Nigerians continue to face unreliable electricity supply and limited access to affordable power, particularly in rural areas. His appointment is expected to attract public attention given his long and sometimes controversial political career.
The appointment comes as Nigeria’s electricity sector continues to grapple with persistent challenges, including inadequate generation capacity, weak transmission infrastructure, high electricity tariffs, poor distribution networks and slow progress in achieving universal energy access. Rural communities remain among the hardest hit, with many households, schools, health centres and small businesses still lacking reliable electricity.
Leadership changes alone are unlikely to resolve the country’s electricity crisis without sustained public investment, transparent management and stronger accountability across the power sector. Expanding access to affordable and reliable electricity requires prioritising the needs of ordinary Nigerians over private profit, ensuring public oversight of energy projects and directing resources toward improving infrastructure, especially in underserved rural communities where electricity remains essential for education, healthcare and economic development.
