The Federal Government has commissioned a 581kWp interconnected solar mini-grid equipped with a 1.4MW battery energy storage system in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The facility is expected to provide electricity during both the day and night and serve about 1,800 households and businesses within the community.
Commissioning the project, Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the battery storage component would allow the mini-grid to continue supplying electricity after sunset.
He said the project was part of ongoing efforts to expand access to more reliable electricity in communities that remain underserved by the national power system.
The facility was developed under the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS) with support from the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
The initiative received financial and technical assistance from the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany through GIZ, UNICEF and other development partners.
Tegbe described IMAS as an example of collaboration between government and private-sector operators in the power industry.
According to him, the scheme combines public funding with private investment to support the development of viable mini-grid projects, while providing regulatory and market structures for their operation.
He said the Oke-Oyi project would support local businesses, create economic opportunities and improve livelihoods within the community.
The minister also appealed to residents to protect the infrastructure against vandalism and other forms of criminal damage, noting that the facility was established to serve both current residents and future generations.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) said the project demonstrated how interconnected mini-grids could combine renewable energy sources with existing electricity distribution infrastructure.
He said the agency would continue working to expand the model through improved financing, regulatory support and stronger institutional arrangements.
The REA boss also stressed the importance of proper maintenance and community participation in ensuring the long-term sustainability of mini-grid projects.
He acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Ministry of Power, Kwara State Government, development partners, Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Nayo Tropical Technologies Limited to the completion of the facility.
Representing Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at the commissioning, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, said the project would contribute to economic development in rural communities.
He added that improved electricity access could support businesses and livelihoods while helping to reduce the pressure that contributes to rural-to-urban migration.
Danladi-Salihu commended the Federal Government for extending power infrastructure beyond major urban centres and for initiatives aimed at improving electricity access in rural communities.
The Oke-Oyi facility is part of the Federal Government’s broader portfolio of rural and off-grid electricity projects being implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
