By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government has commissioned a 1MW solar mini-grid with a 2.4MWh battery energy storage system in Tallasse, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, ending 17 years of electricity blackout in the community.
The project, delivered through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with the Gombe State Government and a private developer, currently serves 6,028 connections.
The commissioning also marked the flag-off of a 16MW network of four interconnected solar mini-grids across Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities to provide reliable electricity to homes, farms, markets and small businesses.
The Tallasse facility also features electric groundnut oil processing, rice milling and flour grinding facilities, as well as electric tricycles, to support local economic activities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the projects as a practical demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
Tegbe said renewable energy projects were expanding across the country, including Adamawa, Lagos, Oyo, Plateau, Kano, Kwara and Gombe states.
He said in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Adeola Labzy, on Sunday that the commissioning marked a new chapter for Tallasse residents after 17 years without electricity.
According to him, the impact of the investments will be measured by improvements in the daily lives of residents, including farmers processing their produce locally, traders preserving perishable goods, artisans operating equipment and young people establishing businesses.
The minister added that the projects would strengthen public services, reduce dependence on expensive self-generation and attract businesses as they become operational.
He said the Federal Ministry of Power, working with the Gombe State Government, developers and host communities, would focus on translating the infrastructure into reliable electricity supply, productive economic activities and sustainable local prosperity.
Tegbe also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism to ensure their long-term sustainability.
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.
The governor said providing reliable electricity alongside rice milling, groundnut processing, flour production and electric mobility would strengthen the economy of Balanga, an agricultural community that had endured 17 years without electricity.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the agency was shifting its focus from counting electricity connections and installed megawatts to measuring the economic outcomes of its interventions.
Aliyu explained that access to electricity without reliable supply limits its impact, noting that the projects incorporate battery storage, intelligent monitoring systems, productive-use equipment and sustainable operating models.
He said the approach was designed to develop integrated electricity ecosystems rather than merely install power plants.
The projects are being implemented under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme as the Federal Government pursues multiple strategies to improve electricity access.
These include strengthening the national grid while accelerating the deployment of mini-grids, embedded generation, solar home systems and dedicated power solutions for universities, markets and agricultural clusters.
Those present at the ceremonies included 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 from across the state.