Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has formally assumed office as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu.
Fayose was inaugurated on Friday in Abuja by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, alongside other members of the agency’s governing board.
The inauguration was disclosed in a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Also inaugurated were Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar, Mr. Ilyasu Makinta and three other non-executive directors, while Mr. Abba Aliyu officially assumed office as the Managing Director of the agency.
Speaking after taking the oath of office, Fayose expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the confidence reposed in him and the other board members, pledging to justify the appointment through dedicated service.
He said his immediate priority would be to strengthen the agency by providing the necessary political support and ensuring that its programmes receive adequate funding.
“My mission in the REA is to take the agency to greater heights by providing the needed political will,” Fayose said.
He also promised to work with relevant stakeholders to secure the resources needed to implement the agency’s short- and long-term programmes aimed at expanding electricity access across Nigeria.
“We are reaching out very fast and appealing to people to ensure the work is done. I want to assure Nigerians that the expectations placed on me and my colleagues will not be disappointed. We will give our best to actualise President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and make the country better for everyone,” he added.
Fayose noted that many of the country’s electricity challenges are most evident at the grassroots level, stressing that the REA’s mandate extends beyond connecting communities to the national grid.
According to him, the agency will also focus on ensuring that improved electricity access translates into meaningful economic and social development for rural communities across the country.
