Clean Energy Boost: UNDP, REA Seal Landmark Partnership

UNDP, REA Seal Landmark Deal to Drive Nigeria’s Clean Energy Transition

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a groundbreaking partnership aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s clean energy transition, boosting innovation, and building a future-ready workforce, according to IReporter Online.

The collaboration will focus on five strategic pillars — energizing education and innovation, expanding skills development, supporting state-level policy reforms, unlocking innovative financing, and advancing research and communication — to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, REA’s MD/CEO, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the initiative as a “game-changer” for Nigeria’s renewable energy ambitions.

He emphasized that the programme would leverage ongoing Federal Government efforts to scale up renewable energy, unlock local content opportunities, and attract sustainable investments.

“Our goal is to position Nigeria as a renewable energy hub, reduce governance costs, and catalyze innovation, research, and development,” Dr. Aliyu said.

UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, highlighted that the partnership was more than just providing electricity — it was about transforming communities into hubs of innovation, job creation, and youth empowerment.

She noted that innovation and research must remain central in Nigerian institutions to enable green job growth and turn natural resources, such as lithium, into value-added renewable energy products, according to IReporter Online.

The partnership’s core initiatives include integrating UNDP’s University Innovation Pods and Maker Spaces into REA’s Energizing Education Programme, expanding the NEXTGEN initiative to train clean energy professionals, offering technical guidance to states on the Electricity Act, using blended finance to de-risk projects, and producing robust research to inform policies.

Both organizations stressed that the alliance reflects UNDP’s commitment to inclusive, locally driven, and resilient development, and REA’s mandate to deliver sustainable power to unserved and underserved communities.

Together, they aim to fast-track Nigeria’s path toward universal clean energy access and a greener future, according to IReporter Online.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”