The Federal Government has commissioned a 581-kilowatt-peak interconnected solar mini-grid in Oke-Oyi community, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, as part of efforts to expand electricity access and stimulate economic activities in underserved communities.
The project was commissioned on Thursday through the Rural Electrification Agency under its Rural Electrification Fund-Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme.
It was developed by Nayo Tropical Technologies Limited with support from the German Cooperation and the European Union through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, also known as GIZ.
Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the project was designed to provide more reliable electricity while improving livelihoods and creating opportunities for businesses in the community.
Tegbe said the purpose of electrification should go beyond providing power for household consumption, stressing that reliable electricity should also strengthen the productive capacity of communities.
According to him, improved power supply could enable welders, grain millers and other small businesses to expand their operations while creating room for new enterprises.
The minister also stressed the importance of maintaining completed electricity infrastructure so that communities could continue to benefit from such investments over the long term.
The mini-grid has an installed capacity of 581kWp and consists of 1,336 solar panels and 84 batteries. It is supported by approximately 10 kilometres of distribution cables and transformers connecting electricity to residential and productive users.
The project is expected to serve an estimated 13,000 residents of Oke-Oyi.
According to the Federal Government and project stakeholders, the availability of improved electricity has already contributed to the emergence and expansion of several businesses in the community.
These include 12 welding businesses, two pure-water companies, four grain mills, four aluminium artisan businesses, an ice-block production business and a cold-room and ice-fish depot.
Three electricity vendors are also currently operating in the community, while three additional vendors, including a female-owned enterprise, are expected to be registered.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abubakar Aliyu, said the success of an electrification project should be measured not only by the infrastructure installed but also by the economic opportunities it creates.
Aliyu said the emergence of new businesses and expansion of productive activities in Oke-Oyi demonstrated the potential impact of reliable electricity on local livelihoods.
He, however, stressed that sustaining the infrastructure would remain important after commissioning, with communities, developers and other stakeholders expected to play roles in protecting the facilities.
The Kwara State Government welcomed the project, describing reliable electricity as an important factor in enterprise development, employment and community growth.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented at the commissioning by the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, commended the Federal Government, REA and the development and private-sector partners involved in the project.
The Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Karin Jansen, also highlighted the role of collaboration between government, development partners, utilities, private-sector developers and communities in delivering sustainable electricity solutions.
The project also created temporary employment during its construction, with residents engaged in activities including painting, welding, bricklaying, plumbing, tiling, iron bending, borehole digging and excavation.
The Oke-Oyi mini-grid forms part of broader Federal Government efforts to expand electricity access to unserved and underserved communities through renewable-energy projects.
For residents and businesses in Oke-Oyi, the project is expected to provide an alternative source of more reliable electricity while supporting productive activities and contributing to local economic development.
