- The House Committee on Renewable Energy has summoned Abba Aliyu to appear on February 26, 2026, regarding ongoing renewable energy projects.
- Lawmakers are auditing renewable programmes and investigating funding and procurement practices.
The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has summoned the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu. The Committee directed him to appear on Wednesday, February 26, 2026. Lawmakers want answers on ongoing renewable power projects across Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the summons followed his absence from an earlier investigative hearing. The hearing took place at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. On Tuesday, February 24, members adopted a motion to compel his appearance.
The probe forms part of the House’s oversight role. In October 2022, the House mandated the Committee to investigate green energy projects. Lawmakers want to know how ministries, departments, and agencies manage these projects.
Afam Ogene chairs the Committee. He represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State. He is also leading an audit of projects implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency. The panel is focusing on the Energising Education Programme Phases I, II, and III.
Furthermore, the Committee has directed all contractors and developers under EEP Phases I–III to appear before it. They must present full documentation for their contracts.
The panel is reviewing solar hybrid projects at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and Teaching Hospital in Bauchi. It is also examining projects at Bayero University, Kano, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Other projects include installations at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun.
The review also covers the Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, is also under review.
Contractors working at the University of Abuja, now General Yakubu Gowon University, must submit key documents. The same applies to those at the Nigeria Defence Academy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and the University of Maiduguri.
Required documents include contract award letters and executed agreements. Contractors must also provide memoranda of understanding and technical specifications. In addition, they must submit engineering drawings and feasibility studies. The panel has requested project status reports and implementation timelines. It has also asked for commissioning records and sustainability plans.
In his opening remarks, Ogene outlined the investigation’s scope. He said the Committee will examine projects assigned to inappropriate entities. In addition, he noted that such practices could lead to poor implementation and loss of value.
The Committee will also review foreign grants and government investments in renewable energy since 2015. It will assess renewable energy use across federal ministries and agencies.
Ogene raised concerns about failing public streetlights. He asked why many installations stop working within six months. He questioned whether similar failures occur in Europe. He described the situation as economic waste.
In addition, he said the trend raises concerns about procurement and maintenance practices. He added that it calls into question value for money in public spending. He argued that comparisons with global standards reveal gaps that require urgent action.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, also addressed the hearing through the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdullahi Halims. He described the investigation as a critical parliamentary exercise.
Dr Tajudeen noted that the Electricity Act, 2023, provides a comprehensive framework for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, including renewable energy. In addition, he said that the global shift towards safer and sustainable energy reflects growing concern over carbon emissions and climate change. He urged the Committee to conduct a thorough investigation and emphasised that renewable energy remains central to Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda.