Vsolaris, a renewable energy services company, has strengthened its engagement with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to expand minigrid projects and accelerate electricity access in unserved and underserved communities across Nigeria.
The renewed collaboration was highlighted during a high-level visit by the Managing Director of the REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, and his management team to Vsolaris’s office and factory facilities in Lagos. During the visit, the company showcased its growing mini-grid portfolio, operational capacity and local assembly capabilities.
The visit forms part of the REA’s ongoing efforts to engage credible private-sector developers aligned with the Federal Government’s decentralised and off-grid electrification strategy.
Briefing the delegation, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Vsolaris, Chantelle Abdul, disclosed that the company has completed and energised seven minigrid projects across Langtang South, Shendam and Bokkos Local Government Areas of Plateau State, all of which are currently fully operational.
She said Vsolaris has built a portfolio of 101 minigrid sites spread across 34 local government areas in nine states, with a planned generation capacity of 64 megawatts (MW).
According to Abdul, project execution is progressing steadily, with 15 isolated minigrid sites under construction at about 75 per cent completion, while three interconnected minigrid projects are also under construction at approximately 50 per cent completion.
The company also highlighted its strength in metering and revenue assurance.
Ayodeji Oladeji, General Manager of Vsolaris, said the firm has deployed over 6,000 smart meters integrated with vending platforms, achieving a 99 per cent collection efficiency with zero downtime.
He explained that the metering architecture enhances transparency, improves project bankability and ensures reliable service delivery to customers.
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Nigeria currently has the highest number of people without access to electricity globally, a gap the REA was established to address.
Speaking during the visit, Aliyu reiterated that the agency’s mandate includes extending power to communities without grid access and improving supply in areas with unreliable electricity.
“We do not fully fund these projects,” Aliyu said. “Public funds are deployed as catalytic grants, but the private sector must have skin in the game. That is how we ensure accountability and long-term sustainability.”
Under the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), he noted that the REA has supported more than 200 minigrids nationwide, electrifying about 1.1 million households and providing hybrid power solutions to 15 federal institutions.
In Plateau State, partner-led minigrids with a combined capacity of about 850 kilowatts have delivered electricity to seven rural communities.
Building on these outcomes, Aliyu disclosed that the Federal Government has approved a fresh $750 million funding round for the REA to provide electricity access to about 17.5 million Nigerians through roughly 1,350 minigrids, including interconnected systems, while catalysing an estimated $1.1 billion in private-sector investment.
Abdul described the partnership with the REA as a convergence of sound public policy and proven private-sector capability, focused on delivering reliable electricity that supports livelihoods, improves healthcare and education, and reduces reliance on diesel in rural and peri-urban communities.
