By Temidire Adefolarin
Zamfara State is set to expand electricity access to more than 125,000 households through a major renewable energy initiative involving the development of 37 solar mini-grids across seven local government areas.
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) said the projects would deliver approximately 18.8 megawatts-peak of solar power, with the potential to benefit more than 625,000 people based on an estimated five persons per household connection.
The initiative comprises two interconnected mini-grids and 35 isolated systems located in Gummi, Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi, Tsafe and Zurmi.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Wednesday, alongside the unveiling of the Zamfara State Electricity Policy and the signing of a partnership agreement between the state government and the REA to provide solar power for public institutions, including hospitals, schools and other essential government facilities.
Governor Dauda Lawal described the policy as a major step towards building a reliable and investment-friendly electricity market capable of supporting the state's economic development.
He said dependable electricity was essential to improving agricultural production, expanding industrial activities, strengthening healthcare and education, and creating employment opportunities.
Lawal added that the agreement with the REA would help turn the state's electricity policy into practical infrastructure capable of improving public service delivery.
The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, said the projects reflected the Federal Government's commitment to expanding decentralised electricity infrastructure and encouraging states to play a greater role in developing their electricity markets.
He noted that the Electricity Act 2023 had opened opportunities for states to establish their electricity markets, assuring that the Federal Government would support those working to attract private investment.
According to Tegbe, electricity development must extend beyond supplying homes to powering hospitals, educational institutions, businesses and agricultural activities.
REA Managing Director, Dr Abba Aliyu, said the Zamfara initiative represented a broader approach to electricity development, combining infrastructure delivery with policy reforms, regulatory arrangements and private-sector participation.
He explained that the planned 125,106 connections should be viewed not merely as household electricity connections but as an opportunity to stimulate business activities, strengthen agricultural value chains, generate employment and improve the operations of public institutions.
Aliyu cautioned that building electricity infrastructure without an effective regulatory and commercial framework could undermine its long-term sustainability.
He stressed the importance of clear policies, credible regulation, commercially viable tariffs and predictable investment conditions in ensuring that the projects become sustainable energy assets.
The REA chief also said the agreement to solarise public institutions would reduce the financial pressure caused by unreliable electricity supplies in hospitals, schools and government facilities. He added that these institutions could provide steady demand, helping to improve the commercial viability of renewable energy investments.
The Zamfara projects are also connected to the $750 million World Bank-supported Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme, which aims to extend electricity access to approximately 17.5 million Nigerians through about 1,350 mini-grids and other distributed renewable energy solutions.
At the ceremony, Tegbe also commissioned two solar installations developed by the Zamfara State Government.
The facilities comprise a 1-megawatt solar project at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and a 1.2-megawatt installation serving the Government House. Together, they have a generation capacity of 2.2 megawatts and more than 3 megawatts of battery storage.
The event further 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.
These additions form part of the state's wider strategy to integrate renewable energy with improved public services and cleaner transportation.
Zamfara's electricity initiative comes as states explore opportunities created by the Electricity Act 2023 to establish and regulate electricity markets within their jurisdictions, in accordance with the law.
The newly unveiled state policy is expected to guide institutional coordination, encourage private-sector investment and establish a framework for developing commercially sustainable electricity infrastructure.
Temidire Adefolarin
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