FG ends 17-year blackout in Gombe communities

The Federal Government has commissioned a 1MW solar mini-grid backed by a 2.4MWh battery energy storage system in Tallasse and the wider Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe, which had been without electricity for 17 years.

The project, which was through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in conjunction with the Gombe State Government, saw the flag-off of construction on a 16MW network of four interconnected solar mini-grids serving Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities and is expected to bring dependable electricity to homes, farms, markets and small businesses across the state.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, while speaking during the commissioning, described the projects as a practical expression of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying it opened a new chapter for the people of Tallasse after 17 years without power.

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Tegbe said, “The true significance of these investments will be measured in the daily lives they improve, the farmer who can process produce closer to home, the trader who can preserve perishable goods, the artisan who can power equipment and the young person who can build a livelihood within the community.”

The minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Adeola Labzy, quoted Tegbe as saying that the projects, when fully operational, will strengthen public services, reduce dependence on costly self-generation and attract enterprise.

In his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the programme has moved from counting connections and megawatts to measuring economic outcomes.