Zamfara begins 37 solar mini-grids to connect 125,106 homes
- The Rural Electrification Agency has started building 37 solar mini-grids across seven Zamfara local government areas.
- The projects will add about 18.8 megawatts-peak and are planned to connect 125,106 households, reaching over 625,000 people.
- Zamfara also unveiled its electricity policy and signed a deal with the agency to solarise hospitals, schools and government offices.
Work has begun on 37 solar mini-grids in Zamfara State, a project the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) says will connect 125,106 households across seven local government areas.
The mini-grids, two interconnected and 35 standalone, will add about 18.8 megawatts of solar capacity in Gummi, Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi, Tsafe and Zurmi, the agency said in a statement on Thursday, a day after the groundbreaking ceremony.
At an illustrative average of five people per connection, the REA said the projects could reach more than 625,000 people. It noted the actual figure will depend on the mix of household, business and institutional connections.
Gusau has the largest share, with 6MW of planned capacity and 29,738 connections. Shinkafi follows with 3.3MW and 18,937 connections, then Kaura Namoda with 3MW and 15,000 connections.
For residents, the promise is more than lighting. The agency's managing director, Dr Abba Aliyu, said the value lies in businesses that can stay open, farm produce that can be processed, and jobs that can be created.
"The real economic significance of 125,106 electricity connections is not simply the number of households that may receive power," he said.
Policy and public buildings
Governor Dauda Lawal also unveiled the Zamfara State Electricity Policy, which is meant to guide how the state runs its own electricity market under the Electricity Act 2023. The law allows states to set up and regulate electricity markets within their borders.
The state government and the REA signed an agreement to solarise public institutions, including hospitals, schools and government buildings. Officials said this would cut the money such facilities spend on generators and diesel.
Minister of Power Chief Joseph Tegbe said the federal government would back states taking practical steps to attract private investment in power.
At the same event, the minister commissioned two solar projects built by the state: a 1MW mini-grid at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital and a 1.2MW facility serving the Government House. Together they have 2.2MW of capacity and more than 3MW of battery storage.
The state also unveiled 100 ZamTaxi electric vehicles, 10 electric tricycles for maternal health transport, and two compressed natural gas buses donated by the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas.
What happens next
The REA linked the Zamfara work to the $750m World Bank-backed Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme, which aims to reach about 17.5 million Nigerians through roughly 1,350 mini-grids and other off-grid solutions.
The agency said the projects will need clear tariffs and credible regulation to last, and that it will keep supporting the state on technical work and attracting private investors.
