The Federal Government has commissioned a one-megawatt (1MW) solar mini-grid in Tallasse, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, ending 17 years of electricity blackout in the community.
Adeola Labzy, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister disclosed this in a Statement on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
According to the Statement, the project, delivered through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with the Gombe State Government and a private developer, features a 2.4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system and currently serves 6,028 connections.
The commissioning also marked the flag-off of construction of a 16-megawatt network of four interconnected solar mini-grids across Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities to improve electricity access for households, farmers, traders and small businesses.
The Tallasse facility is equipped with productive-use infrastructure, including 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 on Saturday, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity access through renewable energy.
Tegbe said the commissioning marked a new chapter for Tallasse residents, who had lived without electricity for 17 years.
According to him, the impact of the investments would be measured by their ability to improve livelihoods, enable farmers to process agricultural produce within their communities, help traders preserve perishable goods and provide artisans and young people with opportunities to grow their businesses.
He added that the projects could strengthen public services, reduce dependence on expensive self-generation and attract new businesses to the benefiting communities.
The minister said the Federal Government, working with the Gombe State Government, developers and host communities, would focus on ensuring reliable electricity supply and translating the infrastructure into sustainable economic opportunities.
He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism to ensure their long-term 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 the integration of reliable electricity with rice milling, groundnut processing, flour production and electric mobility would strengthen the local economy, particularly in agricultural communities such as Balanga.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the agency was shifting its focus from simply counting electricity connections and installed megawatts to measuring the economic impact of its interventions.
Aliyu explained that access to electricity without reliable supply limits its benefits, stressing that the projects incorporated battery storage, intelligent monitoring systems, productive-use equipment and sustainable operating models.
He said the approach was designed to establish functional electricity ecosystems that support productive activities 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 supply nationwide.
These include strengthening the national grid while expanding mini-grids, embedded generation, solar home systems and dedicated power solutions for universities, markets and agricultural clusters.
The commissioning and flag-off ceremonies were attended by members of the Gombe State Executive Council, traditional rulers, community leaders, members of the National and State Assemblies, and religious leaders from across the state.
