By Peace Udugba
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has inaugurated the newly constituted Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), urging members to adopt people-centred leadership and ensure that their decisions improve the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.
The inauguration ceremony was held in Abuja and attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, the Chairman of the REA Board, Ayodele Fayose, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of REA, members of the Board and other officials of the ministry.
Tegbe said the constitution of the new Board was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to strengthening governance, accountability and efficiency across public institutions.
He described the REA as a critical institution for expanding economic opportunities through access to electricity, stressing that every mini-grid, solar home system and electrified market, school, health centre or farm represents an investment in human capital and economic inclusion.
The minister highlighted REA’s existing programmes, including the Energizing Education Programme, Energizing Economies Programme, Energizing Agriculture Programme and the Africa Mini-Grids Programme, as key initiatives supporting the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity access.
According to him, the new Board, constituted pursuant to Section 130 of the Electricity Act, assumed office at a critical period in the development of the agency and the nation’s power sector.
On governance, Tegbe emphasised the distinction between the Board’s non-executive responsibility for strategic direction and oversight and Management’s responsibility for the day-to-day running of the agency.
He explained that the Board would meet quarterly to review performance, while Management would retain operational latitude between meetings, subject to accountability and effective oversight.
The minister commended Fayose’s record as a former Governor of Ekiti State and expressed confidence in the capacity of the new Board to provide effective leadership.
He assured the Board of the Ministry’s continued partnership, describing electricity as an instrument for inclusion, opportunity and prosperity.
Responding on behalf of the Board, Fayose commended President Tinubu for appointing Tegbe as Minister of Power, describing the appointment as a demonstration of the administration’s determination to find a lasting solution to Nigeria’s power challenges.
Fayose described Tegbe as a technocrat with strong technical knowledge and managerial competence, which he said had contributed to a positive direction in the power sector.
He assured the minister that the REA Board was committed to working with him and other stakeholders to advance the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity access and strengthen the power sector.
