The Federal Government has commissioned a 581 kWp interconnected solar mini-grid equipped with a 1.4 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The project is expected to provide reliable electricity to about 1,800 households and businesses in the community, with its battery storage system designed to sustain power supply beyond daylight hours.

The mini-grid was delivered under the Interconnected Mini-Grid Acceleration Scheme (IMAS), through a public-private partnership supported by the European Union, the German Government through GIZ, UNICEF and other development partners.

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the project as a model for expanding sustainable electricity infrastructure while attracting private investment into the sector.

Tegbe said the scheme demonstrated how targeted public funding could reduce investment risks, establish viable market structures and enable private developers to operate without depending on continuous government subsidies.

“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,” the minister said.

He commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for pursuing reforms aimed at improving the reliability and sustainability of the nation’s electricity sector.

The minister also urged residents of Oke-Oyi to protect the facility from vandalism and other forms of criminal interference, stressing that the infrastructure was established for the benefit of the community and future generations.

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, said the project demonstrated how renewable energy systems could be integrated with existing electricity distribution networks to improve supply and support economic activities.

He said the Oke-Oyi mini-grid was integrated with the network of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), creating a model that could improve supply reliability, increase productive activities and support the commercial sustainability of mini-grid operators.

According to Aliyu, the agency would continue to expand similar projects through improved financing, regulatory and institutional frameworks, while prioritising maintenance and community ownership.

He acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Ministry of Power, Kwara State Government, development partners, IBEDC and Nayo Tropical Technologies Limited, the project’s developer.

Representing Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, said reliable electricity in rural communities could help reduce migration to urban centres and encourage local industrial development.

Danladi-Salihu, who said he represented a rural constituency, stressed the importance of electricity to communities outside major urban centres.

He said the deployment aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and commended the Ministry of Power for extending electricity interventions beyond major cities.