Zamfara, REA to power 125,000 homes with solar mini-grids

The Rural Electrification Agency has commenced the development of 37 solar mini-grids in Zamfara State, targeting 125,106 household connections across seven local government areas as the state moves to establish its own electricity market and attract private investment.

The projects, comprising two interconnected and 35 isolated mini-grids, will provide approximately 18.8 megawatts-peak of solar generation capacity in Gummi, Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi, Tsafe and Zurmi Local Government Areas.

The agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday following the groundbreaking ceremony held on Wednesday.

The intervention is expected to reach more than 625,000 people, based on an illustrative average of five people per household-equivalent connection.

The development 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, including hospitals, schools and other critical government facilities.

Speaking at the event, Governor Dauda Lawal said the electricity policy was designed to create an investment-friendly market capable of supporting the state’s economic ambitions.

“Today, we are taking deliberate steps to redefine Zamfara’s electricity future. The unveiling of our State Electricity Policy is a statement of our intention to build a structured, investment-friendly and sustainable electricity market that responds to the needs of our people and the ambitions of our economy.

“We recognise that reliable electricity is indispensable to agricultural transformation, industrial development, healthcare delivery, education and job creation.

“Our collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency on the solarisation of public institutions reflects our determination to translate policy into practical infrastructure that improves the delivery of essential services,” Lawal said.

The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, said the projects demonstrated the Federal Government’s commitment to decentralised electricity infrastructure and greater participation by states in electricity market development.

He said the Electricity Act 2023 had created opportunities for states to develop their electricity markets, adding that the Federal Government would support those taking practical steps to attract private investment.

“Electricity must do more than illuminate homes. It must power hospitals, strengthen educational institutions, support agricultural productivity, enable businesses and improve the quality of public services.

“The Federal Government will continue to support states that are taking practical steps to develop their electricity markets and create the conditions necessary for sustainable private investment,” the minister stated.

The REA Managing Director, Dr Abba Aliyu, said the Zamfara intervention represented a shift from delivering isolated electricity projects to building an integrated energy market supported by infrastructure, policy reforms and private-sector investment.

He explained that the 37 mini-grids would provide 125,106 planned connections, stressing that the economic benefits would extend beyond the number of homes connected.

“The real economic significance of 125,106 electricity connections is not simply the number of households that may receive power. It is the number of businesses that can become productive, the agricultural value chains that can be strengthened, the jobs that can be created, the public institutions that can function more efficiently and the private investments that reliable electricity can unlock,” Aliyu said.

He warned that electricity infrastructure would not be sustainable without an enabling regulatory and commercial framework.

“Infrastructure without an enabling market framework risks becoming a collection of disconnected assets. However, when electricity infrastructure is supported by clear policies, effective institutions, commercially viable tariffs, credible regulation and predictable investment conditions, it becomes the foundation of a sustainable electricity economy,” he added.

Aliyu said the public institution solarisation agreement would help reduce the financial burden of unreliable electricity on hospitals, schools and government facilities, while creating anchor demand that could improve the commercial viability of renewable energy investments.

He also linked the Zamfara projects to the $750m World Bank-supported Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme, which targets electricity access for approximately 17.5 million Nigerians through about 1,350 mini-grids and other distributed renewable energy solutions.

Meanwhile, Tegbe commissioned two solar mini-grid projects developed by the Zamfara State Government.

They include a 1MW facility at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and a 1.2MW project serving the Government House. The two installations have a combined generation capacity of 2.2MW and more than 3MW of battery storage.

The event also featured the unveiling of 100 ZamTaxi electric vehicles, 10 electric tricycles dedicated to maternal healthcare transportation and two compressed natural gas buses donated by the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas.

The initiatives form part of the state’s broader effort to combine renewable electricity, improved public services and cleaner transportation.

The development comes amid efforts by states to take advantage of the Electricity Act 2023, which allows them to establish and regulate electricity markets within their jurisdictions, subject to the provisions of the law.

Zamfara’s new policy is expected to provide a framework for institutional coordination, private-sector participation and the development of commercially sustainable electricity infrastructure.