Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, has described the newly released mini-grid regulations by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) as a significant policy shift that would accelerate large-scale project delivery in the country’s renewable energy sector.

The updated regulation followed two years of sustained advocacy and technical submissions from the REA aimed at addressing regulatory constraints that have slowed investment and project execution in the off-grid power segment.

Aliyu said the reforms reflect a transition from a limited, restrictive framework to one that supports scale, innovation, and faster implementation, noting that previous bottlenecks had delayed critical projects and constrained the pace of electrification in underserved communities.

He said: “Since 2024, we have engaged consistently and constructively with the NERC, making detailed submissions based on the realities we face in delivering projects across the country. I am pleased to see that many of those inputs are now reflected in the final Mini-Grid Regulations 2026 (NERC–R–001–2026) released by the Commission yesterday. This is a great win for Nigerian renewable energy players.

“These new regulations represent the most important update to Nigeria’s mini-grid framework in years. More importantly, they address real, structural challenges that have slowed down large-scale project delivery.”

According to him, aligning policy with the practical realities faced by developers is expected to unlock new investment opportunities.