MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind Zamfara State’s push for reliable electricity as the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, launched the Zamfara State Electricity Policy and commissioned major solar power projects in Gusau.
The Minister also laid the foundation for the connection of 36 solar mini-grids across nine local government areas in the state.
The projects, when completed, are expected to connect close to 147,000 homes and businesses, a development that could transform life for thousands of families in Zamfara.
The Minister spoke in Gusau alongside the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, development partners, traditional rulers and community leaders.
He said the initiatives put the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, into practice by turning reform and investment into better public services, cleaner transport and more dependable electricity for homes and businesses.
Two solar plants with a combined capacity of 2.5MW were commissioned at the event.
The first is a 1MW mini-grid with 2.4MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital.
The plant will help doctors to operate with greater confidence, preserve essential medicines that require constant cooling, and ensure that critical hospital equipment does not fail during power outages.
For patients in Zamfara, it means safer surgeries, better emergency care, and a hospital that can work day and night without depending on generators.
The second is a 1.5MW plant with 3.6MW BESS for the Government House and its auxiliary facilities. The project is expected to eliminate dependence on diesel-based power generation, cut cost, reduce pollution and provide clean, stable power for government operations.
Of the 36 mini-grids, the interconnected projects in Gusau and Kaura Namoda will improve supply on the existing distribution network, while the other 34 will serve communities beyond the reach of the national grid.
For many rural communities, this will be the first time they will have access to reliable electricity.
The Minister also unveiled Zamtaxi, a cleaner transport initiative that opens opportunities for drivers, technicians and young entrepreneurs in Zamfara.
The Minister credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose assent to the Electricity Act 2023 created greater room for states and investors to participate in the power sector.
He pledged the Ministry’s support to translate the Zamfara policy into effective institutions and improved service for the people.
He urged host communities to protect the assets as their own and to report vandalism and theft promptly, warning that power infrastructure can only work if it is protected by the people it serves.
He congratulated Zamfara on 30 years of statehood and commended Governor Dauda Lawal for driving and sponsoring the two commissioned mini-grid projects, amongst other solar-powered projects in the state.
Those projects include solar power for 15 general hospitals, 800 schools and 70 Primary Health Care facilities across Zamfara.
The Zamfara 36 mini-grid projects form part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda drive to bring electricity to all Nigerians.
Alongside strengthening the national grid, the Federal Government is expanding solar power and other viable sources, bringing supply closer to demand and reaching communities previously without access.
For Zamfara, that means a more resilient, more diverse electricity system, and dependable power for the homes, hospitals, farms and markets that depend on it.
Residents who attended the event expressed hope that the projects will bring an end to years of darkness, boost small businesses, help students to study at night, and improve healthcare delivery in the state.
