Keypoints
- The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has inaugurated a 200kWp solar mini-grid in Gangalawai Village, Bauchi State.
- The project was deployed by Zanoplus under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme.
- This initiative aims to support Nigeria’s national goal of achieving universal electricity access by 2030.
- The deployment aligns with the federal government’s ambition to reach 30,000MW of total generation capacity.
- The project contributes to Nigeria’s long-term pathway toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.
Main Story
The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has announced the successful deployment of a 200kWp solar mini-grid project in Gangalawai Village, Bauchi State.
Dr. Abba Aliyu, Managing Director of the REA, confirmed that the installation was completed by Zanoplus under the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme.
The initiative is part of a strategic effort to bridge Nigeria’s energy access gap by providing reliable electricity to underserved rural communities.
Aliyu noted that while energy progress is often measured in infrastructure, the real impact is seen in small businesses staying open longer and students having light to study at night.
The Gangalawai project is a component of a larger national journey to ensure universal electricity access across Nigeria by the year 2030.
According to the REA, every additional kilowatt deployed supports the country’s broader ambition to scale its national generation capacity to 30,000MW. Furthermore, these renewable energy projects are integral to Nigeria’s commitment to environmental sustainability, specifically the pathway toward reaching net-zero emissions by 2060.
Aliyu emphasised that the work of the agency remains focused on a “community by community” approach to link Nigerians to new economic opportunities through power.
The Issues
- Scaling renewable energy to meet the 30,000MW goal requires significant private sector involvement and sustained investment in rural grid infrastructure.
- Maintaining mini-grid systems in remote locations like Gangalawai poses long-term technical and operational challenges that require local capacity building.
- Reaching the 2030 universal access target necessitates a rapid acceleration of project deployments to cover thousands of currently unserved Nigerian communities.
What’s Being Said
- “In Gangalawai Village, Bauchi State, another important step has been taken under the DARES programme, with Zanoplus deploying a 200kWp mini-grid project,” said Dr. Abba Aliyu.
- “Every single day at the Rural Electrification Agency, we continue pushing to close Nigeria’s energy access gap, community by community, connection by connection, kilowatt by kilowatt,” Aliyu added.
- “What keeps me encouraged is knowing that behind every project are real people whose quality of life improves when reliable electricity arrives,” the REA chief stated.
What’s Next
- Zanoplus and the REA will monitor the Gangalawai mini-grid to ensure stable power delivery and manage local distribution.
- The DARES programme is expected to roll out similar solar mini-grid projects in other identified rural clusters across the northern region.
- The Federal Government will continue to track progress toward the 2030 universal access milestone through the Energy Transition Office.
Bottom Line
The deployment of the 200kWp solar grid in Bauchi signifies the REA’s shift toward decentralized, renewable solutions as a primary tool for achieving Nigeria’s 2030 universal power goals.
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