President Bola Tinubu has officially appointed Abba Aliyu as the Managing Director (MD) of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Aliyu’s appointment, effective from January 23, was announced in a statement on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
This development comes months after President Tinubu, on March 7, 2024, indefinitely suspended the former MD of the agency, Salihijo Ahmad, over an alleged N1.2 billion fraud. Following Ahmad’s suspension, Aliyu had been serving as the acting MD of the agency.
The statement highlighted Aliyu’s impressive professional background, emphasizing his pivotal contributions to Nigeria’s energy sector over the past two decades.
“He has over 20 years of experience in energy and organisational development in the private and public sectors. He has played key leadership roles in the on-grid and off-grid power sectors, as well as the water resources and transportation sectors of Nigeria’s economy,” the statement reads.
Aliyu previously held significant positions, including Head of the Project Management Unit at the Nigeria Electrification Project, General Manager of Corporate Services, Projects, and Research, and Deputy General Manager at Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading PLC (NBET).
President Tinubu expressed confidence in Aliyu’s ability to lead the agency, stating that his expertise aligns with the administration’s goals for sustainable energy.
“President Tinubu anticipates that Aliyu will leverage his extensive expertise to further the REA’s mission of providing rural communities with reliable electric power and contributing to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda on sustainable energy and power.”
