Residents of Tallasse community in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State have gained access to a 1-megawatt solar mini-grid after more than 15 years without public electricity, in a project designed to support homes, businesses and agricultural processing.
The Federal Government commissioned the solar facility on Saturday, October 17, 2026, alongside the groundbreaking for four additional interconnected mini-grid projects with a combined capacity of 16MW across Dukku, Bajoga, Kumo and Kaltungo communities in Gombe State.
According to New Telegraph, in a report published on October 17, the Tallasse facility is equipped with a 2.4-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system and integrates electricity-powered equipment intended to connect power supply with local economic activities.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, said the project serves 6,028 connections, comprising 5,929 residential connections, 84 commercial connections and 15 dedicated connections for productive economic activities, New Telegraph reported.
The project also includes electric tricycles, an electric groundnut oil processing plant, a modular electric rice mill and electric flour-grinding machines. These facilities are intended to help residents use electricity for transportation, agricultural processing and other commercial activities.
Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the project would connect electricity access with the state’s agricultural economy.
“Balanga is an agricultural community,” Yahaya said, according to New Telegraph. He explained that combining reliable electricity with rice milling, groundnut processing, flour production and electric mobility could strengthen the local economy.
The governor also described the development as an outcome of the partnership between the Gombe State Government and the Federal Government through the REA.
Aliyu said the project reflected a shift in rural electrification policy towards measuring the economic benefits of electricity, rather than focusing only on the number of connections and megawatts installed.
He said battery storage, monitoring systems and productive-use equipment were important to improving the reliability and economic value of electricity supplied to underserved communities, New Telegraph reported.
The duration of Tallasse’s electricity deprivation has been reported differently. Leadership, in an earlier report on the project published in July 2026, said Tallasse and nearby Swa had been without public electricity for more than 15 years. The PUNCH, in its report published on October 17, put the period at 17 years.
The solar mini-grid had been under development before its commissioning. Voice of Nigeria reported on November 7, 2025, that Yahaya had flagged off construction of a 1MW solar mini-grid in Tallasse in collaboration with the REA and development partners. At the time, the governor said the project was intended to provide electricity to unserved communities and support homes, small businesses and employment.
The four additional mini-grid projects announced on October 17 have a combined planned capacity of 16MW. Their groundbreaking marks the start of another phase of the state’s electrification effort; the projects should not be confused with completed and operational facilities.
For Tallasse, the immediate development is the arrival of a dedicated electricity supply after years without public power. Whether it translates into lower operating costs, higher agricultural output and more jobs will depend on the reliability of the system, the affordability of its electricity and the ability of local businesses to make productive use of the new infrastructure.
