Military goes solar in N100bn REA clean energy deal

In a move set to cut diesel reliance and boost energy security for Nigeria’s Armed Forces, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has secured the backing of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative (NPSSI).

The meeting, held at Defence Headquarters in Abuja recently, marked the start of what both parties described as a “strategic collaboration” to bring sustainable solar power to military formations nationwide.

General Musa, welcoming the proposal, called it “a timely and much-needed intervention,” stressing that many critical defence facilities were in urgent need of reliable electricity. “I will set up a military team to work closely with the REA to identify priority locations and develop a clear implementation plan,” he said.

The NPSSI, approved by the Federal Government with an initial N100 billion funding, aims to replace diesel generators in public institutions with clean solar power. Target beneficiaries include hospitals, schools, government offices — and now, potentially, barracks and operational bases.

REA Managing Director, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, explained that the programme is a joint effort involving the Budget Office of the Federation, Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp), and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI). “Our goal is to cut energy costs, improve reliability, and advance Nigeria’s clean energy transition,” he said.

He noted that several military formations had already shown interest in solar interventions, but that a unified approach was key to ensuring the widest possible benefit. Participation, he explained, would be based on a pay-for-service model to guarantee long-term sustainability, a structure already agreed with the Police Trust Fund, Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The Defence Headquarters and REA also discussed engaging the Nigerian Army Engineers and Logistics Unit in the deployment, installation, and maintenance of solar systems, with the plan to form a joint REA–Military Solar Committee in the coming weeks.

The visit signals a major step in extending Nigeria’s renewable energy footprint into the country’s most critical security infrastructure, and could set the stage for one of the largest public sector solar rollouts in West Africa.