THUR JULY 03 2025-theGBJournal| Governor Dauda Lawal said Wednesday, at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Strategic Roundtable in Abuja, that Zamfara State benefits from intense sunlight throughout the year, which makes it an ideal site for solar farms, mini-grids, and autonomous power systems.
The high-level Strategic Roundtable convened critical stakeholders—including leading Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs) and financiers with a combined investment portfolio of over $2 billion—to explore scalable energy solutions that can unlock agricultural productivity, stimulate innovation, and support local enterprise development across Zamfara.
Governor Dauda Lawal emphasized Zamfara State’s strong potential for solar energy, citing its year-round intense sunlight and the untapped hydropower of Bakalori Dam.
He outlined efforts to tackle widespread energy poverty, including the installation of 150 transformers and restoring power to several local government areas in collaboration with Kaduna Electric.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Zamfara State Government and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to boost renewable energy development.
Governor Lawal stressed that energy access is central to Zamfara’s development strategy, especially to drive agro-industrial growth and rural industrialization.
The Governor also highlighted the ongoing Gusau International and Cargo Airport project, aiming to make it Nigeria’s first airport powered by at least 50% renewable energy.
REA Managing Director Abba Abubakar Aliyu reaffirmed the agency’s support and presented a new national electrification map, aiding targeted deployment of electricity infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Zamfara is poised to become a renewable energy development frontier, with the REA through: Electrifying rural communities through the deployment of standalone solar home systems to improve quality of life and support economic activity; Powering primary healthcare centres and schools across the state through the e-HEARTS initiative, with a focus on hard-to-reach and underserved areas; and Facilitating productive use of energy (PUE) pilots in agro-processing clusters to enhance rural livelihoods, stimulate local economies, and food security.
REA Managing Director Abba Abubakar Aliyu also commended Governor Lawal’s forward-thinking leadership and unwavering commitment to enabling inclusive electrification, ensuring even Zamfara’s most underserved communities are not left behind in Nigeria’s just energy transition.
”Together, we are powering not just infrastructure—but livelihoods, resilience, and long-term prosperity,” he said.
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