Gombe Community Gets Electricity After 17 Years of Darkness

The Federal Government and Gombe State Government have commissioned a one-megawatt solar mini-grid in Talasse, Balanga Local Government Area, bringing a new electricity supply to a community that had spent 17 years without connection to the national grid.

The facility, inaugurated on Saturday, October 17, 2026, includes a 2.4-megawatt-hour battery storage system and is designed to serve more than 6,000 households and businesses.

Electricity will be distributed through an 11-kilovolt network, with smart prepaid meters installed to manage consumption and billing.

Solar Project Targets Homes and Businesses

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe described the installation as a milestone in efforts to extend electricity to underserved communities and strengthen energy security.

He said the intervention reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to expanding access to electricity, regardless of a community’s location.

“Now you have brought light to the people of Balanga Local Government Area after 17 years of darkness. May God bless you,” the minister told Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

The minister also announced the commencement of four interconnected mini-grid projects in Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo, with a combined planned capacity of 16 megawatts.

He said the impact of rural electrification should be measured through the opportunities it creates for farmers, traders, artisans and young people.

The expansion of solar infrastructure also increases demand for technical expertise, an issue highlighted during the inauguration of the renewable energy college in Kogi State.

Yahaya Says Project Fulfils Promise to Talasse

Governor Inuwa Yahaya recalled that he flagged off construction on November 3, 2025, describing the commissioning as the fulfilment of a commitment to residents.

“Today, barely one year after that event, we have returned to turn what was then a promise into reality. What was then a construction site has become a source of power, opportunity and renewed hope for our people,” he said.

Yahaya said reliable electricity would support enterprise development, improve learning conditions, strengthen healthcare delivery and enhance household comfort and security.

He disclosed that the state had introduced the Gombe State Electricity Law and established the Gombe State Electricity Regulatory Commission and Gombe Electricity Company Limited to encourage investment and private-sector participation.

The focus on attracting private capital reflects a wider national push, including Nigeria’s portfolio of 65 projects seeking $78.5 billion in investment.

Processing Equipment Planned for Rural Enterprises

To help residents put the electricity to productive use, Yahaya said his administration would provide rice milling machines, flour-grinding machines, oil-processing equipment and electric motorcycles.

He said the interventions were intended to reduce production costs and create employment and income opportunities, particularly for farmers, women and young entrepreneurs.

The link between processing facilities and rural incomes also features in other state investment programmes, including Kogi’s proposed cashew processing plant and Jigawa’s Green Horizon agriculture and renewable energy initiative.

Yahaya said the wider electrification programme was expected to reach 80 communities. He urged residents to protect the Talasse installation from vandalism, electricity theft and illegal connections.

State Takes Equity Stake in Project

The Managing Director of Mids Dynamics Limited, Khalid Mohammed, said the project was implemented under the Nigeria Electrification Project through the Rural Electrification Agency, with Federal Government and World Bank support.

He explained that Gombe State participated as an equity investor alongside the private developer, complementing a performance-based grant.

According to Mohammed, the arrangement reduces investment risks and gives the state a direct interest in the facility’s long-term performance.

He put the plant’s estimated annual electricity output at more than 950 megawatt-hours over a 25-year design life.

Mohammed also said his company had attracted more than $30 million in grants and private equity into Gombe through its projects, with a 30-megawatt-peak portfolio under development and another 40 megawatts in the pipeline.

Public-private partnerships are also featuring in other states’ investment strategies, including Kebbi’s reforms and engagement with development and financing institutions.

REA Highlights Wider Electrification Programme

Speaking at the event, Rural Electrification Agency Managing Director Abubakar Aliyu said the agency was implementing 32 projects across Gombe to improve electricity access.

He described the state’s equity participation approach as the “Gombe Model” and said six other states had adopted it.

Balanga Local Government Chairman Ibrahim Salihu urged residents to use the supply to strengthen businesses, education, healthcare and other productive activities, while taking responsibility for protecting the facility.