FG begins 17.7MW mini-grid project in Ibadan, targets 20-hour power supply

• REA plans additional 17.7MW for UI, UCH, Polytechnic

The Federal Government has begun construction of a 17.7-megawatt (MW) interconnected mini-grid in Ibadan, Oyo State, targeting at least 20 hours of daily electricity supply to five communities along the Iwo Road axis.

The project, being developed by Paras Energy & Natural Resources Development Limited through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), is expected to improve electricity reliability for Bola, Jiboye, Ogo-Oluwa, Molade-Adelubi and Sooko Elega communities.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the intervention reflected the government’s commitment to increasing available electricity and ensuring that investments in the power sector translated into economic opportunities for households and businesses.

“Our objective is clear: to increase the quantum of electricity available to Nigerians, improve the reliability of supply and ensure that electricity becomes an enabler of productivity, investment and economic growth,” he said.

Tegbe added that the government’s strategy extended beyond expanding infrastructure to ensuring that additional generation capacity supported businesses, industries and productive enterprises.

The project will also include the installation of 18 transformers to strengthen electricity distribution across the beneficiary communities.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of REA, Dr Abba Aliyu, said the project reflected the agency’s growing focus on deploying distributed generation capacity capable of supporting economic activities, while leveraging private-sector investment and sustainable operating models.

He said reliable electricity would enable businesses to extend operating hours, reduce dependence on expensive self-generation, improve productivity and create jobs.

“Across Nigeria, we are demonstrating that distributed energy can move beyond addressing electricity access alone to becoming an important pillar of electricity reliability and economic development,” Aliyu said.

Beyond the 17.7MW project, the agency is advancing another 17.7MW intervention in Ibadan, targeting strategic institutions and economic centres, including the University College Hospital (UCH), University of Ibadan and The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

The two projects would bring the planned capacity of the Ibadan interventions to 35.4MW upon completion, although the additional project remains at a separate stage of development.

The REA has also commenced or advanced interconnected mini-grid projects in locations including Pankshin, Plateau State, and Kofare, Mbamba and Saminaka in Adamawa State, as part of efforts to expand decentralised electricity infrastructure across the country.

The approach is intended to complement ongoing investments in generation, transmission and distribution by bringing additional power closer to communities and commercial clusters.

The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, commended the Federal Government for the intervention, saying improved electricity supply would benefit businesses, households and livelihoods. He also called for the timely completion of the project.

Managing Director of Paras Energy & Natural Resources Development Limited, Yashwant Kumar, pledged the company’s commitment to delivering the project efficiently and to the required standards.

Upon completion, the project is expected to improve electricity supply across the five beneficiary communities, with its wider economic impact depending on the reliability of generation, distribution infrastructure and sustained delivery of the targeted daily supply.

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