By Seun Ibiyemi
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has commenced the development of 37 interconnected and isolated solar mini-grids with a combined generation capacity of approximately 18.8 megawatts-peak (MWp) in Zamfara State, in a move expected to connect 125,106 households to electricity.
The projects comprise two interconnected mini-grids and 35 isolated mini-grids across Gummi, Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi, Tsafe and Zurmi Local Government Areas.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Wednesday, also featured the unveiling of the Zamfara State Electricity Policy and the signing of a collaboration agreement between the REA and the state government for the solarisation of public institutions.
The agreement is expected to provide a framework for expanding reliable renewable electricity supply to critical government facilities, including healthcare centres, educational institutions and other public infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, Governor Dauda Lawal described the electricity policy and partnership with the REA as significant steps towards achieving the state’s broader economic development objectives.
He said the policy would establish a structured, investment-friendly and sustainable electricity market capable of responding to the needs of residents and the state’s economic ambitions.
According to him, reliable electricity remains critical to agricultural transformation, industrial development, healthcare delivery, education and job creation.
Lawal said the collaboration with the REA would translate policy commitments into practical infrastructure capable of improving essential public services.
He added that his administration was committed to making renewable energy a driver of enterprise development, economic opportunities and prosperity across the state.
The governor said the objective was to establish an electricity ecosystem in which government provides an enabling environment, private investors contribute capital and innovation, and communities enjoy reliable and affordable electricity.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, described the initiative as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity access and supporting state participation in electricity market development.
Tegbe said the Tinubu administration was pursuing an electricity transformation strategy that recognised the importance of decentralised infrastructure, state-level electricity markets and private-sector investment.
He noted that the unveiling of the state electricity policy, commencement of new mini-grid projects and commissioning of renewable energy facilities demonstrated how policy reforms could translate into tangible development outcomes.
According to the minister, electricity access must extend beyond household lighting to powering hospitals, strengthening educational institutions, supporting agricultural productivity and improving business operations.
He assured states undertaking practical steps to develop their electricity markets of continued Federal Government support to create conditions for sustainable private investment.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Dr Abba Aliyu, described the Zamfara intervention as an opportunity to demonstrate an integrated approach to electricity development through infrastructure investment, policy reforms, institutional electrification and private-sector participation.
Aliyu said the 37 mini-grid projects, with approximately 18.8MWp of solar generation capacity, would provide 125,106 planned electricity connections across the seven local government areas.
He estimated that the projects could potentially reach more than 625,000 people, based on an illustrative average of five persons per household-equivalent connection, subject to the actual mix of household, commercial and institutional connections.
He said the economic significance of the intervention extended beyond the number of electricity connections, noting that reliable power would improve business productivity, strengthen agricultural value chains, create jobs and attract private investment.
The REA chief executive stressed that electricity infrastructure must be supported by clear policies, effective institutions, commercially viable tariffs, credible regulation and predictable investment conditions to ensure long-term sustainability.
He also described the agreement on solarising public institutions as strategic, explaining that unreliable electricity supply had continued to impose financial and operational burdens on hospitals, schools and government facilities.
According to him, decentralised renewable energy could improve public service delivery, reduce long-term operating costs and establish commercially sustainable models for powering critical infrastructure.
Aliyu added that public institutions could provide anchor demand for electricity investments, improving project bankability and creating opportunities to extend reliable power to surrounding communities and businesses.
He said the agency was increasingly focused on measuring the amount of infrastructure delivered, the private capital mobilised and the economic value generated by each investment.
On its national electrification programme, Aliyu disclosed that the $750m World Bank-supported Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme was targeting electricity access for approximately 17.5 million Nigerians.
He said the programme also supported the development of about 1,350 mini-grids and the expansion of distributed renewable energy solutions across the country.
The REA boss maintained that the future of electricity access in Nigeria would depend not only on government spending but also on the ability to attract private capital, establish viable electricity markets and create sustainable economic opportunities.
The unveiling of the Zamfara State Electricity Policy is expected to provide strategic direction for institutional coordination, market development, private-sector participation and the long-term sustainability of electricity services.
With the Electricity Act 2023 providing opportunities for states to assume greater responsibility for electricity market development, Zamfara is positioning itself to attract investment and expand decentralised energy infrastructure.
As part of the event, Tegbe commissioned two solar mini-grid projects developed by the Zamfara State Government.
The projects comprise a 1MW solar mini-grid at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital to support healthcare delivery and a 1.2MW facility serving the Zamfara State Government House to strengthen electricity supply for government operations.
The two facilities have a combined generation capacity of 2.2MW and more than 3MW of battery storage.
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The minister also unveiled 100 ZamTaxi electric vehicles as part of efforts to expand clean transportation initiatives in the state.
Additionally, 10 electric tricycles dedicated to maternal healthcare services were unveiled to improve transportation access for pregnant women and mothers.
Two Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses donated by the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG) were also unveiled to promote alternative transportation fuels.
The combined interventions are expected to strengthen electricity access for households, businesses, agricultural activities and public institutions while supporting economic development and cleaner energy adoption in Zamfara.
The REA said it would continue working with the state government through technical collaboration, project development and private-sector engagement, with emphasis on the commercial sustainability of electricity infrastructure.
The agency added that the collaboration agreement on public institution solarisation could provide scalable financing and implementation models for replication in other states.
