REA Invites ICPC to Review Operations, Strengthen Anti-Corruption Controls

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has invited the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to review its operations as part of efforts to strengthen internal controls and promote transparency and accountability across its programmes.

The review is expected to examine the agency’s operational systems and identify areas requiring improvement as REA takes on an expanding portfolio of programmes, partnerships and investments in the power sector.

The initiative followed a request by the agency for the ICPC to undertake the system study and review of its operations.

Speaking during the ICPC visit to the agency’s headquarters, the Managing Director of REA, Mr Abba Aliyu, said the increasing scale and significance of the agency’s activities had created a greater responsibility to ensure that its internal processes remained transparent, accountable and fit for purpose.

Mr Aliyu said the agency was prepared to subject its systems to external scrutiny as part of efforts to identify operational gaps and implement corrective measures where necessary.

“Transparency is strongest when an organisation is willing to open its systems to external scrutiny, identify operational gaps, and actively implement corrective measures,” he said.

He also called for stronger collaboration between the ICPC and REA’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), stressing that the engagement should extend beyond a one-off review.

According to him, the collaboration would serve as a continuous framework for evaluating and strengthening the systems underpinning the agency’s rural electrification activities nationwide.

The development comes against the backdrop of REA’s recognition by the ICPC as the leader in the power sector in its 2025 Ethics and Integrity Compliance Ranking and Performance Outlook.

The agency said the latest engagement with the anti-corruption commission further demonstrates its commitment to institutionalising transparency and strengthening governance as it executes programmes designed to expand electricity access across underserved and unserved communities.