The Federal Government has commissioned a 1-megawatt solar mini-grid equipped with a 2.4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system in Tallasse community, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The commissioning, held on Saturday, also marked the groundbreaking of four additional interconnected mini-grid projects with a combined capacity of 16 megawatts across Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities.
The projects are designed to improve electricity access while supporting agriculture, small businesses, transportation and other income-generating activities in rural communities.
Alongside the Tallasse installation, the initiative features the deployment of productive-use equipment, including electric tricycles, an electric groundnut oil processing plant, a modular electric rice mill and electric flour-grinding machines.
Speaking at the event, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, described the project as an important outcome of the strategic partnership between the state government and the Federal Government through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Yahaya said reliable electricity, combined with agricultural processing equipment and electric mobility, would strengthen the local economy and create opportunities for residents.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Power and the leadership of the REA for supporting the initiative.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects reflected the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda by extending infrastructure and economic opportunities to communities across the country.
He noted that the benefits of the projects would go beyond household lighting to include improved agricultural productivity, lower operating costs for businesses and increased opportunities for young people to earn a living within their communities.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, disclosed that the Tallasse project serves 6,028 connections, comprising 5,929 residential units, 84 commercial connections and 15 dedicated connections for productive economic activities.
Aliyu said the agency was shifting its focus from measuring electrification success solely by the number of connections and megawatts deployed to assessing the economic benefits electricity delivers to communities.
He explained that the inclusion of a 2.4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system was intended to improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply.
According to him, the REA is increasingly integrating energy storage, intelligent monitoring systems, productive-use equipment and sustainable operating models into its rural electrification projects.
The statement added that the latest development followed the groundbreaking of interconnected mini-grid projects with a combined capacity of 17.7 megawatts in Iwo, Ibadan, Oyo