The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has intensified its probe of the Energizing Education Programme (EEP), summoning the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, to appear before it over the implementation of solar power projects in federal tertiary institutions.

The decision followed the failure of the REA chief to honour an earlier invitation to attend an investigative hearing at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

He is now expected to appear before the panel on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, to respond to questions bordering on the execution, funding structure, procurement process and long-term sustainability of projects under Phases I, II and III of the EEP.

Chairman of the Committee, Afam Ogene, said the ongoing probe is part of the House’s October 2022 resolution mandating the panel to investigate the domiciliation and implementation of green and renewable energy projects across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with particular emphasis on value for money and compliance with due process.

According to Ogene, the Committee is examining whether contracts were properly awarded, projects executed according to specification and whether beneficiary institutions are currently enjoying the intended benefits.

Universities Under Review

Institutions covered in the ongoing review include the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University and its Teaching Hospital; Bayero University Kano; Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi; and Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun.

Also listed are Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike; Nnamdi Azikiwe University; and Usmanu Danfodiyo University.

Contractors handling solar hybrid installations at the University of Abuja (now Yakubu Gowon University), the Nigeria Defence Academy; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; and University of Maiduguri have also been directed to appear before the Committee.

They are required to present original and certified true copies of contract award letters, executed agreements, memoranda of understanding, technical specifications, engineering drawings, feasibility studies, implementation timelines, commissioning certificates and sustainability plans.

Concerns Over Value for Money

Ogene stressed that the investigation is not a witch-hunt but part of the House’s constitutional oversight responsibility.

“Our mandate is to ensure transparency and accountability. We must verify that public funds and foreign grants invested in renewable energy projects since 2015 have delivered measurable results,” he said.

He expressed concern over reports of poorly executed projects and non-functional public lighting infrastructure in parts of the country, questioning whether adequate supervision and maintenance frameworks were in place.

The Committee is expected to reconvene on Wednesday for the appearance of the REA Managing Director and other stakeholders as lawmakers intensify scrutiny of the EEP and other renewable energy interventions nationwide.