Adamawa Gets 13.5MW Power Boost as Minister Tegbe Launches Mini-Grid Projects to Electrify 40,000 Homes, Businesses

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Nigeria’s drive to expand electricity access received a major boost on Wednesday as the Honourable Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, performed the groundbreaking ceremony for three interconnected renewable energy mini-grid projects in the Kofare, Saminaka and Mbamba communities of Adamawa State.

The projects, with a combined generation capacity of 13.5 megawatts (MW), are expected to provide reliable and sustainable electricity to about 40,000 households, 6,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and more than 100 public institutions, strengthening the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity access under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking during the ceremony, Tegbe described the initiative as another major milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards universal electricity access, energy security and a cleaner energy future.

He emphasised that mini-grids are not intended to replace the national grid but to complement it as part of a diversified electricity system capable of meeting the country’s growing energy demands.

“Mini-grids are not a substitute for the national grid but an integral part of Nigeria’s power architecture. As the country builds a more diversified system combining grid infrastructure, mini-grids, renewables and storage, these projects represent the future of our energy sector,” the minister said.

The projects are being implemented under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) Programme, regarded as the world’s largest publicly funded renewable energy access initiative. The programme is designed to mobilise both public and private sector investments to connect millions of Nigerians to reliable and affordable electricity.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed that the three interconnected mini-grids are part of a broader rollout of 39 mini-grid projects across Adamawa State, comprising three interconnected systems and 36 isolated mini-grids with a combined capacity of nearly 27MW.

According to him, the initiative will significantly improve electricity access while stimulating economic growth, supporting businesses and strengthening essential public services across the state.

Aliyu also commended Minister Tegbe for his commitment to renewable energy development and for recognising mini-grids as a key pillar of Nigeria’s evolving electricity landscape.

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, applauded the Federal Government for the intervention, describing it as a timely investment that would accelerate socio-economic development across the benefiting communities.

He noted that the projects were a direct outcome of the Rural Electrification Agency’s State-by-State Roundtable held last year, where Adamawa showcased its readiness to attract investments into the power sector.

Minister Tegbe also commended the Adamawa State Government for allocating 30 hectares of land for the projects and acknowledged the contributions of development partners, electricity distribution companies (DisCos), financiers and host communities towards making the initiative a reality.

He urged residents of Kofare, Saminaka and Mbamba to safeguard the facilities, describing the mini-grids as community assets that would improve livelihoods for generations if properly protected from vandalism.

For residents of the beneficiary communities, the projects represent a new chapter of reliable electricity capable of powering homes, businesses, schools and healthcare facilities while creating fresh opportunities for economic growth.

The Adamawa mini-grid initiative is expected to become a model for rural electrification across Nigeria as the Federal Government continues to diversify the country’s energy mix and deliver sustainable electricity solutions to underserved communities.