Rural Electrification Agency Partners With Mente Energy to Launch National Renewable Manufacturing Initiative

The Rural Electrification Agency and Mente Energy sign a 5-year MoU to build a domestic renewable energy manufacturing base and create industrial jobs in Nigeria.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 18, 2026, 4:36 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from LEADERSHIP Media Group

A Strategic Shift Toward Energy Sovereignty

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has officially entered into a partnership with Mente Energy Limited to launch a comprehensive industrialization program focused on green technology. The initiative, titled the Renewable Energy Localisation and Industrialisation Programme (RELIP), seeks to restructure the national market to ensure that the economic benefits of energy projects remain within the country. According to Abba Aliyu, the Managing Director of the REA, while Nigeria has successfully accelerated the deployment of decentralized energy, much of the financial value has historically flowed to foreign entities. This new program is designed to reverse that trend by creating an institutional architecture that supports homegrown production.

Structuring the Market for Global Investment

The partnership is intended to provide a clear and stable framework that allows both domestic and international investors to commit capital with higher levels of confidence. By organizing national demand for solar components and other renewable hardware, the program aims to catalyze the development of local factories and supply chains. Tolu Osekita, the managing partner of Mente Energy, described the current Nigerian renewable market as one of the most significant industrial opportunities of the current decade. According to Osekita, the program is grounded in a Nigeria first philosophy, ensuring that the transition to clean energy serves as a primary driver for national industrial growth.

Immediate Milestones and Institutional Foundations

The memorandum of understanding outlines a specific five year timeline for the collaboration, with an intense initial phase scheduled for the first six months of 2026. This foundational period will focus on establishing the commercial and analytical systems necessary for the launch of a dedicated renewable energy investment fund. According to the agreement, this phase is critical for setting the stage for subsequent large scale capital mobilization. By creating these formal structures, the REA and its partners intend to provide the transparency and data required for global financial institutions to support Nigerian manufacturing projects.