The Federal Government has ended 17 years of darkness in Tallasse, Gombe State, by commissioning a 1MW solar mini-grid equipped with a 2.4MWh battery energy storage system to supply electricity to households and businesses.
The project, delivered through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with the Gombe State Government and a private developer, already serves 6,028 connections and includes electric-powered groundnut oil processing, rice milling and flour grinding facilities, as well as electric tricycles.
The commissioning also featured the flag-off of a 16MW network of four interconnected solar mini-grids across Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities, aimed at extending reliable electricity to homes, farms, markets and small businesses across the state.
Speaking at the ceremonies, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the projects as a practical expression of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that renewable energy initiatives were expanding across several states, including Adamawa, Lagos, Oyo, Plateau, Kano, Kwara and Gombe.
Tegbe said the Tallasse project marked a new chapter for residents who had endured 17 years without electricity.
He stated that the real value of the investment would be reflected in its impact on livelihoods and economic activities.
“The true significance of these investments will be measured in the daily lives they improve: the farmer who can process produce closer to home, the trader who can preserve perishable goods, the artisan who can power equipment, and the young person who can build a livelihood within the community,” he said.
He added that the projects, as they become operational, could strengthen public services, reduce dependence on expensive self-generation and attract businesses to the benefiting communities.
According to the minister, the Federal Government, working with the Gombe State Government, developers and host communities, is committed to translating the infrastructure into reliable electricity, productive economic activities and sustainable local prosperity.
He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism to ensure their continued operation.
In his remarks, 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.
Yahaya said reliable electricity, combined with rice milling, groundnut processing, flour production and electric mobility, would strengthen the local economy of Balanga, an agricultural community that had been without electricity for 17 years.
He noted that the benefits of the intervention extended beyond household lighting to include improved agricultural processing and expanded economic opportunities for residents.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the programme reflected a shift in the agency’s approach from counting electricity connections and installed megawatts to measuring actual economic outcomes.
Aliyu explained that access to electricity without reliability limits its impact, adding that the projects incorporated battery storage, intelligent monitoring, productive-use equipment and sustainable operating models.
He said the approach was designed to establish integrated electricity ecosystems that support economic development rather than merely install power plants.
