GOMBE, Nigeria – The Federal Government has ended 17 years of blackout in Tallasse and Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.

‎The government, through the Rural Electrification Agency, in partnership with the state government and a private developer, commissioned a 1MW solar mini-grid with 2.4MWh battery storage in Tallasse on Friday.

The event also marked the flag-off of a 16MW network of four interconnected solar mini-grids in Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities.

‎Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects show President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in action, with renewable energy spreading across the country.

‎He said the Tallasse project now serves 6,028 connections and comes with rice milling, groundnut oil processing, flour grinding machines and electric tricycles.

He said the impact will be seen in the daily lives of farmers, traders, artisans and youths who can now work and earn a living in their communities.

‎Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the projects are a result of collaboration between the state and the Federal Government. He said reliable power will boost the local economy in the farming community.

‎Managing Director of REA, Abba Aliyu, said the agency is now focused on economic impact, not just connections and megawatts, by combining storage, monitoring and productive-use equipment.

The projects are under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme.

‎The government urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism.