At their 12th meeting in Jalingo, the North-East Governors’ Forum directed its Power & Energy Committee to draft an integrated sub-regional power masterplan to tackle a deep and persistent energy deficit across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
The forum singled out solar and distributed renewables as immediate, “low-hanging” priorities and said the master plan will combine grid strengthening, mini-grids and off-grid solutions to restore reliable power for schools, hospitals and businesses.
Key details
What the masterplan will aim to do: design a coordinated sub-regional approach that (a) plugs gaps where the national grid is weak or absent, (b) builds solar-hybrid mini-grids for towns and public institutions, (c) strengthens transmission and substations where feasible, and (d) mobilises private investment and donor finance to scale installations quickly.
Where this fits in national programmes: the governors’ push aligns with national electrification efforts notably the Federal Rural Electrification Agency’s Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP) and follow-on DARES programme which have already demonstrated how solar mini-grids and solar home systems can rapidly add millions of users outside the main grid. The NEP’s model (private-sector led, donor-supported) is likely to be the delivery template for the sub-regional masterplan.
Early private-sector signals: the federal REA has been signing MOUs and deals to expand mini-grids nationwide, including a recent $200m MOU to roll out hundreds of mini-grids. That kind of public-private partnership is exactly the mechanism the North-East governors appear to be signalling they will seek.
Why the North-East needs a region-level masterplan
- Deep energy poverty + damaged infrastructure. Years of conflict, displacement and under-investment have left much of the North-East with weak distribution networks, vandalised lines and low private investment appetite conditions that undermine economic recovery and humanitarian operations. A regionally tailored plan lets states pool resources and coordinate with federal initiatives and donors to rebuild faster.
- A technical rationale for distributed renewables. Where national transmission is unreliable or too costly to rebuild immediately, solar-hybrid mini-grids and standalone solar systems provide faster, cheaper, and safer power for clinics, schools, marketplaces and small industry exactly the uses governors highlighted.
How they’ll likely try to pay for and deliver it
- Blended finance + DFIs + private investors: expect a mix of federal grants/loans, World Bank/AfDB support (building on NEP/DARES), international private investors and impact funds, and state co-financing for key public assets (e.g., hospitals and schools).
- Implementation channels: the governors will probably route projects through the REA/NEP frameworks for technical standards and verification while using state taskforces to manage security, local procurement and maintenance. Where possible, they will advertise bankable IPP/mini-grid opportunities to attract private operators.
Main obstacles the masterplan must solve
- Security risks and higher project costs insurers and DFIs often demand extra security measures for North-East sites; developers face higher operating costs and logistical barriers.
- Grid instability at the national level, frequent national grid collapses and ageing transmission assets still matter for any plan that assumes eventual interconnection; the masterplan will need contingencies for islanding mini-grids or operating independently.
- Coordination and governance aligning six state agencies, federal bodies and multiple donors will require clear governance, procurement transparency, and a rapid but accountable decision process.
What success looks like
- A published sub-regional power masterplan with timelines, cost projects and procurement windows from the Power & Energy Committee.
- A tranche of DFI-backed mini-grid tenders or MOU signings and verified commissioning of mini-grids in priority towns.
- Rapid delivery of electrified health centres and schools (measured in number and uptime), and visible private investment both will show the plan has moved beyond rhetoric to implementation.