The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has summoned the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu
The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has summoned the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, to appear before it on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, over the status of renewable power projects across the country.
The summons followed the adoption of a motion by the Committee on Tuesday after Aliyu failed to honour an earlier invitation to an investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
The probe forms part of the House’s ongoing oversight activities, pursuant to its October 2022 resolution mandating the committee to investigate the domiciliation and execution of green and renewable energy projects across ministries, departments, and agencies.
Chaired by the lawmaker representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Rep. Afam Ogene, the committee is conducting a comprehensive audit of renewable energy interventions undertaken by the REA, with particular focus on projects executed under the Energizing Education Programme (EEP) Phases I, II, and III.
To ensure a thorough and transparent exercise, the panel has also directed all contractors and developers involved in the EEP Phase I–III projects to appear with full documentation relating to their respective contracts.
Projects under review include solar hybrid installations at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and Teaching Hospital, Bauchi; Bayero University, Kano; the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi; and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun. Others include the Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; and Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto.
Contractors handling solar hybrid projects for the University of Abuja (now General Yakubu Gowon University), the Nigeria Defence Academy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and the University of Maiduguri are expected to present original and certified true copies of contract award letters, executed agreements, memoranda of understanding, and technical specifications.
They are also required to submit engineering drawings, feasibility studies, project status reports, implementation timelines, commissioning documents, and sustainability plans.
In his opening remarks, Rep. Ogene outlined the scope of the investigation, noting that the Committee’s mandate includes the need to “investigate the domiciliation of green energy projects with inappropriate entities, with a view to preventing substandard implementation and loss of value.
“To examine foreign grants and government investments received in the renewable energy sector from 2015 to date.
“And to assess the utilisation of renewable energy in ministries, departments, and agencies of the Federal Government.”
He also expressed concern over the widespread failure of public lighting infrastructure nationwide.
“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 asked.
“Do streetlights in Europe and other parts of the world suffer the same fate? What could be responsible for this economic wastage, considering the high cost of procurement and installation of these dysfunctional streetlights to the nation?”
According to him, the situation raises serious questions about value for money, procurement practices, maintenance culture, and accountability in public infrastructure spending.
“The prevalence of dysfunctional streetlights raises concerns about procurement practices, maintenance, and the overall value for public investment,” Rep. Ogene added, noting that comparisons with global standards reveal potential inefficiencies and areas requiring urgent improvement.
Also speaking, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who was represented by the Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Abdullahi Halims, described the investigative hearing as a critical parliamentary exercise.
He said a key objective of the Electricity Act, 2023 is to provide a holistic and integrated policy framework that accommodates all sources of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, including renewable energy.
“There is a global quest for safer, sustainable, and renewable energy, on account of the glaring impact of carbon emissions from fossil fuels on our environment,” he said.
“The growing effects of global warming and climate change are no longer confined to international climate conferences but are increasingly felt around us in different forms.”
He urged the committee to carry out a rigorous and objective investigation, stressing that renewable energy remains central to Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda.
“Renewable energy is a sure way to go. Beyond the need for clean energy, there is a growing conversation across board about sustainable development in every sector of governance and corporate life,” he added.
