Susan Abayomi
The Federal Government has ended a 17-year electricity blackout in Tallasse, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, following the commissioning of a 1-megawatt (MW) solar mini-grid equipped with a 2.4-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system.
The project, delivered through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with the Gombe State Government and a private developer, is expected to improve electricity access and support economic activities across the community.
The commissioning also marked the flag-off of a 16MW network comprising four interconnected solar mini-grids across Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo, aimed at providing more reliable electricity to households, farms, markets and small businesses.
According to the Federal Government, the Tallasse facility already serves 6,028 connections and includes electric groundnut oil processing, rice milling and flour grinding equipment, as well as electric tricycles to support productive activities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the projects as a practical demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that renewable energy initiatives were expanding across several states.
He said the commissioning represented a new chapter for Tallasse residents, who had endured 17 years without electricity.
Tegbe explained that the impact of the investments would be measured by their ability to improve livelihoods, enable farmers to process agricultural produce locally, help traders preserve perishable goods and provide artisans with electricity to operate their equipment.
He added that the projects could strengthen public services, reduce dependence on expensive self-generated electricity and attract businesses to the benefiting communities.
The minister stressed that the Federal Government, working with the Gombe State Government, private developers and host communities, was committed to translating the infrastructure into dependable electricity supply, increased productivity and sustainable economic growth.
He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism to ensure their continued operation.
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described the projects as the outcome of collaboration between the state government and the Federal Government through the REA.
He noted that reliable electricity combined with rice milling, groundnut processing, flour production and electric mobility would strengthen the local economy in Balanga, an agricultural community that had been without electricity for 17 years.
According to the governor, the initiative goes beyond providing household lighting, as it is designed to support agricultural processing, commercial activities and improved livelihoods.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the agency was shifting its focus from merely counting electricity connections and installed capacity to measuring the economic benefits delivered by its projects.
He explained that electricity access without reliable supply limits the potential impact on communities, making battery storage, intelligent monitoring systems, productive-use equipment and sustainable operating models essential components of the new projects.
Aliyu said the approach was intended to establish complete electricity ecosystems that support economic activities rather than simply installing power generation facilities.
The projects are being implemented under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme, as the Federal Government pursues multiple strategies to improve electricity supply nationwide.
These efforts include strengthening the national grid while expanding mini-grids, embedded generation, solar home systems and dedicated electricity solutions for universities, markets and agricultural clusters.
The commissioning and project flag-off ceremonies attracted members of the Gombe State Executive Council, traditional rulers, community leaders from Komu, Kaltung and Tallasse, members of the National and State Assemblies, and religious leaders.
The Federal Government said the initiatives form part of broader efforts to expand access to reliable electricity, promote renewable energy and support economic development in underserved communities.
