The Federal Government has ended 17 years of electricity blackout in Tallasse and other parts of Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State with the commissioning of a 1-megawatt solar mini-grid designed to power homes, businesses and agricultural activities.
The project, delivered through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with the Gombe State Government and a private developer, is equipped with a 2.4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system.
The commissioning also marked the flag-off of a 16MW network of four interconnected solar mini-grids planned for Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities, extending electricity access to households, farms, markets and small businesses across the state.
According to a statement signed by Adeola Labzy, Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Power, the Tallasse project already serves 6,028 connections and includes electric groundnut oil processing, rice milling and flour grinding facilities, as well as electric tricycles to support local economic activities.
Speaking at the commissioning, Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the projects as a practical demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that renewable energy initiatives were being deployed across several states.
Tegbe said the commissioning marked a new chapter for Tallasse residents, who had endured 17 years without electricity.
“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.
The minister added that the projects, when fully operational, could strengthen public services, reduce dependence on expensive self-generated electricity and attract new businesses to the benefiting communities.
He said the Federal Ministry of Power would work with the Gombe State Government, developers and host communities to ensure that the infrastructure translates into reliable electricity supply, increased productivity and sustainable economic growth.
Tegbe 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 cooperation between the state government and the Federal Government through the REA.
Yahaya said reliable electricity would have far-reaching benefits for Balanga, an agricultural community that had been without power for nearly two decades.
He noted that combining electricity supply with rice milling, groundnut processing, flour production and electric mobility would strengthen the local economy beyond providing lighting for households.
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 megawatts to measuring the economic benefits of its interventions.
According to him, access to electricity without reliable supply limits the impact of rural electrification projects.
He explained that the Gombe projects therefore incorporate battery storage, intelligent monitoring systems, productive-use equipment and sustainable operating models to create functional electricity ecosystems rather than simply install power plants.
The projects are being implemented under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme.
The Federal Government is pursuing a mix of electricity solutions, including strengthening the national grid while expanding mini-grids, embedded generation, solar home systems and dedicated power supply for universities, markets and agricultural clusters.
The commissioning and flag-off ceremonies were attended by members of the Gombe State Executive Council, traditional rulers and community leaders from Komu, Kaltung and Tallasse, members of the National and State Assemblies, and religious leaders.
