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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has summoned the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) over the domiciliation and implementation of green and renewable energy projects across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The House Committee on Renewable Energy issued the summons yesterday during an investigative hearing and directed the agency to appear before it today.
The panel is conducting an audit of renewable energy interventions under the REA, particularly projects executed under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) Phases I, II and III. It had requested that the agency ensure contractors handling the projects appear before it with all relevant documents.
However, neither the agency nor the contractors attended yesterday’s hearing. The probe is also examining foreign grants and government investments received in the renewable energy sector from 2015 to date, as well as assessing the utilisation of renewable energy in MDAs.
Chairman of the committee, Afam Ogene, described the investigation as critical to Nigeria’s energy security and socio-economic development.
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He raised concerns over the frequent failure of public infrastructure such as solar-powered streetlights, which he said often become defective within months of installation.
“For instance, if you look around you, whether in the cities where some of us reside or our rural areas, you will most likely notice that many of the streetlights installed for the good of the people go bad less than six months after installation. Why is it so?” he queried.
Ogene questioned whether similar infrastructure in Europe and other parts of the world experiences the same level of deterioration, describing the situation as economic waste given the high cost of procurement and installation.
He noted that the proposed resolution requiring MDAs to source 50 percent of their power from renewable energy is expected to attract investment, create jobs and enhance sustainability in the power sector.
According to him, achieving the target would require a comprehensive assessment of current renewable energy utilisation in MDAs, identification of gaps and implementation of strategies to increase adoption. He added that such measures would help diversify Nigeria’s energy mix, reduce reliance on traditional sources and build a more resilient power infrastructure.
