Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, presided over the groundbreaking of three interconnected mini-grid projects in Adamawa State, covering the communities of Kofare, Saminaka and Mbamba. The projects have a combined capacity of 13.5 megawatts, 10MW at Kofare, 2.6MW at Saminaka, and 890kW at Mbamba, and were developed under the federal Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) Programme.
The ceremony was attended by Adamawa State Governor Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the state’s Deputy Governor, members of the State House of Assembly, Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Managing Director/CEO Abba Abubakar Aliyu and the REA management team, representatives of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company, private sector investors, development partners, and traditional and community leaders from the host communities.
Tegbe said the projects reflect the federal government’s approach to closing Nigeria’s electricity access gap, describing the mini-grid model as an integrated part of the national power architecture rather than a stand-alone or backup power source. He said Nigeria is working to diversify its electricity sector by combining grid infrastructure, interconnected and isolated mini-grids, renewable generation and energy storage, rather than relying on a single supply source. He cited DARES as the programme driving that shift, describing it as the largest publicly funded renewable energy access programme in the world and a vehicle for mobilising both public and private investment to expand electricity access nationwide.
Tegbe commended Governor Fintiri and the Adamawa State government for providing 30 hectares of land for the projects, and praised the REA leadership and staff for what he described as strong programme delivery over the past year, citing the agency’s financing models, partnerships with development partners, and engagement with the private sector. He also acknowledged the contributions of development partners, private developers, electricity distribution companies, financiers and host communities to the project’s implementation.
Addressing residents of the host communities directly, Tegbe said the completed mini-grid systems would belong to them once operational, and urged residents to protect the infrastructure from vandalism or other damage, describing the assets as intended to serve the communities and future generations.