Precious Anga
Lagos — The Federal Government has commissioned a 581kWp solar mini-grid backed by a 1.4MW battery energy storage system, BESS, in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, to supply electricity to about 1,800 homes and businesses.
The project, delivered under the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme, IMAS, is designed to extend electricity supply beyond daylight hours through its battery storage system.
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, who commissioned the project, said the initiative demonstrated the Federal Government’s push to expand reliable electricity access in underserved communities while increasing renewable energy deployment and private-sector participation.
The project was supported by the Nigerian Energy Support Programme, NESP, the European Union, the German government through GIZ and other development partners, including UNICEF.
Tegbe said IMAS was structured to use public funding to attract private capital, establish clear market rules and develop commercially viable electricity projects, rather than sustain communities through subsidy-dependent power supply.
“As we energise this community, we are also energising businesses, creating opportunities, empowering young people, improving livelihoods and building a more resilient future for Nigeria,” he said.
The minister urged residents to protect the mini-grid and its associated infrastructure against vandalism and other criminal activities, stressing that the facility was an investment intended to serve the community and future generations.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, said the Oke-Oyi project demonstrated how interconnected mini-grids could combine distributed renewable generation with existing electricity distribution infrastructure to improve supply and support local economic activity.
He said REA would continue to scale up the model through stronger financing, regulatory and institutional frameworks, while prioritising commercial viability, maintenance and community ownership.
The agency acknowledged the roles played by the Federal Ministry of Power, Kwara State Government, development partners, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Nayo Tropical Technologies Limited in delivering the project.
Representing Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, said reliable electricity was critical to rural communities because improved power supply could create economic opportunities and reduce migration to urban centres.
“Being from a rural area, we understand the importance of electricity in taming rural-urban migration,” he said.
The Oke-Oyi installation adds to the Federal Government’s expanding portfolio of rural and off-grid electrification projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with the focus on increasing electricity access, strengthening energy security and accelerating the deployment of cleaner energy technologies.
The combination of the 581kWp solar generation capacity and 1.4MW battery storage is expected to improve the availability of power from the mini-grid, particularly after solar generation falls at night.
