Adamawa and Kaduna approve mini-grid project sites expected to deliver electricity access to 33,262 households.

The governments of Adamawa and Kaduna states have officially issued Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) for critical mini-grid project sites being developed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

The approvals, a statement in Abuja by the REA said, serves as a bold and commendable step toward accelerating energy access and renewable energy deployment within their respective states.

According to the statement, the mini-grid project sites are being developed under the REA’s Minimum Subsidy Tender (MST) programme.

The approvals, granted within hours of engagements with the chief executive of the REA, the organisation explained, underscore a strong commitment by both state governments to enabling infrastructure deployment, supporting private sector participation, and removing the administrative bottlenecks that often delay project implementation.

Speaking on the development, the Managing Director of the REA, Abba Aliyu, commended both governors for their ‘exceptional’ responsiveness and proactive leadership, noting that such decisive actions send a powerful signal to investors, developers, and financing institutions about the readiness of states to support large-scale electrification projects.

The MST programme, the REA stressed, is a key deployment framework under the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP), designed to accelerate electrification in pre-selected, underserved communities with strong economic growth potential through a competitive, private sector-led tender process.

Under the framework, communities are identified, verified, and sensitised by the REA, while developers compete for the capital grant support required to deploy sustainable mini-grid infrastructure.

The programme is being rolled out in phases, with the first phase prioritisingover 163 sites across multiple states, including Abia, Anambra, Bauchi, Cross River, Kano, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Plateau, and Kebbi.

To improve operational efficiency, encourage economies of scale, and strengthen long-term sustainability, the REA stated that sites are packaged into state-based lots. Collectively, the programme, it said, is expected to deploy approximately 213.436 MWp of solar PV capacity across participating communities.

“In Adamawa State, Certificates of Occupancy were issued for three major interconnected mini-grid sites currently under development. These include Kofare in Yola South LGA, which features 19,220 projected connections and an 8.0 MWp solar capacity; Mbamba in Yola South LGA, with 2,282 projected connections and a 0.8 MWp capacity; and Saminaka in Fufore LGA, offering 4,660 projected connections and a 2.5 MWp capacity.

“In Kaduna State, land titles were secured for the Trapco site in Chikun LGA, which targets 3,100 projected connections with a 2.0 MWp capacity, and the Makarfi 1 site in Makarfi LGA, aiming for 4,000 projected connections with a 4.0 MWp capacity,” the REA stated.

Together, the agency pointed out that the projects represent a significant expansion of interconnected renewable energy infrastructure designed to improve electricity access for underserved communities while supporting economic productivity, local enterprise development, and sustainable growth.

The rapid issuance of the certificates, according to the REA, demonstrate the increasingly vital role of subnational governments in driving Nigeria’s energy transition agenda and creating enabling environments for clean energy investments.

“This development further reinforces the growing alignment between federal institutions, state governments, and private sector stakeholders in advancing Nigeria’s broader goals of universal electricity access, increased renewable energy adoption, and sustainable economic development,” it added. (Arise News)

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