The Federal Government has begun construction of a 17.7-megawatt interconnected mini-grid in Ibadan, Oyo State, to improve electricity supply to five communities and support economic activities.
The Rural Electrification Agency, REA, under the Federal Ministry of Power, performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, which Paras Energy & Natural Resources Development Limited is developing.
The project will serve Bola, Jiboye, Ogo-Oluwa, Molade-Adelubi and Sooko Elega communities along the Iwo Road axis, with a target of at least 20 hours of electricity supply daily upon completion.
Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe said the project reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to increasing electricity availability and improving supply reliability.
He said the government aimed to ensure that additional generation capacity translated into better business operations, increased productivity and economic growth.
“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,” Tegbe said.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the project represented a broader shift towards deploying decentralised electricity infrastructure to support communities and businesses.
He said reliable electricity would extend business operating hours, reduce dependence on expensive self-generation and create opportunities for investment and employment.
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The project will also include the installation of 18 transformers to strengthen electricity distribution across the beneficiary communities.
Aliyu said the agency was advancing another 17.7MW in projects in Ibadan to serve strategic institutions and economic centres, including the University College Hospital, the University of Ibadan and The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
He added that the Ibadan project formed part of a wider portfolio of interconnected and isolated mini-grid developments across the country, including projects in Pankshin, Plateau State, and Kofare, Mbamba and Saminaka in Adamawa State.
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 in the affected communities.
He also urged the government to ensure the timely completion of the project.
The Managing Director of Paras Energy & Natural Resources Development Limited, Yashwant Kumar, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to delivering the project efficiently and to the required standards.
The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to complement the national grid with decentralized generation infrastructure and private-sector investment to improve electricity reliability.
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