FG, REA break ground on 17.7MW Ibadan mini-grid to boost power supply
The Federal Ministry of Power, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has performed the groundbreaking ceremony for a 17.7-megawatt (MW) interconnected mini-grid project in Ibadan, Oyo State, to improve electricity supply and stimulate economic activities.
The project, being developed by Paras Energy and Natural Resources Development Ltd., will serve Bola, Jiboye, Ogo-Oluwa, Molade-Adelubi and Sooko Elega communities along the Iwo Road axis of Ibadan.
Upon completion, the project is expected to provide a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily to the beneficiary communities.
The Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, said the project reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding electricity generation, improving supply reliability and supporting economic growth.
“Our objective is to increase the quantum of electricity available to Nigerians, improve reliability of supply and ensure that electricity becomes an enabler of productivity, investment and economic growth,” Tegbe said.
He added that the government was pursuing decentralised power generation alongside improvements in the national grid to bring electricity closer to communities and businesses.
The project builds on REA’s growing portfolio of interconnected mini-grid interventions across the country, including projects in Pankshin, Plateau, and Kofare, Mbamba and Saminaka in Adamawa.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of REA, Dr Abba Aliyu, said the Ibadan project demonstrated the growing role of distributed energy in improving electricity reliability and supporting productive economic activities.
He said the agency was prioritising projects capable of attracting private-sector investment, expanding business operations, creating jobs and reducing dependence on expensive alternative power sources.
“Reliable electricity means longer operating hours for businesses, lower dependence on expensive self-generation, increased productivity, new investment and ultimately more jobs and economic opportunities,” Aliyu said.
He added that the project was part of a broader pipeline of investments aimed at deploying generation capacity around communities, public institutions and economic centres.
According to him, REA is also advancing another 17.7MW of projects in Ibadan to serve strategic institutions, including the University College Hospital, University of Ibadan and The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
The Ibadan project will also involve the installation of 18 transformers to strengthen electricity distribution across the beneficiary communities.
The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, commended the Federal Government for the intervention, saying improved electricity supply would benefit households, businesses and livelihoods.
He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for infrastructure projects in Oyo State and called for their timely completion.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Paras Energy and Natural Resources Development Ltd., Yashwant Kumar, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to delivering the project efficiently and in line with the required standards.
The Federal Government and REA said the project was part of efforts to combine additional generation capacity, improved distribution networks and private-sector investment to strengthen electricity supply and promote economic development.
