The Zamfara State Government, in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has commenced the development of 37 solar mini-grid projects expected to provide 125,106 electricity connections across seven local government areas of the state.
The projects, comprising two interconnected and 35 isolated mini-grids, will generate approximately 18.8 megawatts-peak of solar power and are expected to benefit more than 625,000 people.
The REA disclosed this in a statement on Thursday following the groundbreaking ceremony held on Wednesday, which was attended by Governor Dauda Lawal and the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
The projects will be implemented in Gummi, Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi, Tsafe and Zurmi local government areas.
The development also featured the unveiling of the Zamfara State Electricity Policy and the signing of a collaboration agreement between the state government and the REA for the installation of solar power systems in public institutions, including hospitals, schools and other critical government facilities.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Lawal said the electricity policy was aimed at establishing a sustainable and investment-friendly market to support the state’s economic development.
“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,” he said.
The governor noted that reliable electricity was essential to agricultural development, industrial growth, healthcare delivery, education and job creation.
He added that the partnership with the REA would translate the state’s electricity policy into practical infrastructure to improve public service delivery.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to decentralised electricity infrastructure and greater participation by state governments in the electricity market.
He said the Electricity Act 2023 had created opportunities for states to establish their electricity markets, adding that the Federal Government would support states 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,” Tegbe said.
The Managing Director of the REA, Dr Abba Aliyu, described the Zamfara intervention as a shift from delivering isolated electricity projects to developing an integrated energy market backed by infrastructure, policy reforms and private-sector investment.
He said the 37 mini-grids would provide 125,106 planned connections, noting that the benefits would extend beyond household electrification to businesses, agriculture and public institutions.
“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 the sustainability of the projects would depend on an effective regulatory and commercial framework.
According to him, electricity infrastructure must be supported by clear policies, effective institutions, commercially viable tariffs, credible regulation and predictable investment conditions to deliver long-term benefits.
Aliyu further explained that the agreement on solarising public institutions would reduce the cost burden associated with unreliable electricity in hospitals, schools and other government facilities.
He said the arrangement would also create consistent demand for renewable energy, thereby improving the commercial viability of investments in the sector.
The REA managing director linked the 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.
The facilities comprise a one-megawatt installation at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and a 1.2-megawatt project serving the Government House.
The two projects have a combined generation capacity of 2.2 megawatts, alongside more than three megawatts of battery storage.
The ceremony also featured the unveiling of 100 ZamTaxi electric vehicles, 10 electric tricycles designated for 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 government’s broader efforts to expand renewable energy, improve public services and promote cleaner transportation.
The development comes as state governments explore opportunities provided by the Electricity Act 2023 to establish and regulate electricity markets within their jurisdictions.
Zamfara’s electricity policy is expected to provide a framework for institutional coordination, private-sector participation and the development of commercially sustainable electricity infrastructure.
