For over two decades, communities in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State have lived in the shadows. With no electricity supply, homes remained dark, schools under-resourced, and small businesses stifled. But a glimmer of hope is finally emerging from the heart of Balanga Dam.
In a landmark move, the Gombe State Government has launched a 620KW Small Hydropower-Solar Hybrid Project aimed at addressing the chronic electricity shortage in the area.
Flagged off recently, the project combines renewable hydropower from the dam with solar energy, delivering a sustainable, environmentally-friendly solution to decades of infrastructural neglect.
According to the state governor, the hybrid initiative is a social and economic lifeline that represents a deliberate policy shift toward decentralized, community-based electrification models which prioritize under-served populations.
“What we are doing at Balanga is rewriting the narrative. This project is a deliberate intervention to lift our rural communities out of the dark and into a new era of opportunity,” said Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya during the flag-off ceremony.
Balanga, once the hub of agricultural activity and water resources in southern Gombe, has suffered near-total neglect in power supply. Several villages in the LGA, including Gelengu, Nyuwar, and Kulishin, have experienced prolonged blackouts, surviving on kerosene lamps, charcoal, and petrol generators for decades.
The impact of this deprivation has been far-reaching, crippling education, restricting healthcare services, and choking small-scale businesses that require even minimal power to operate. Frustrations peaked earlier this year when residents decried the suspension of an earlier power extension project initiated by a federal lawmaker.
For locals, the launch of this new hybrid power plant is not just welcome, it’s long overdue. “We’ve waited too long for this. Many of us grew up without ever knowing what stable electricity looks like. If this succeeds, it will change our lives,” said Adamu Bala, a trader in Talase.
Inside the Project
The 620KW capacity plant is designed as a hybrid, leveraging both the natural flow of water from the Balanga Dam and solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.
Experts say the hybrid design is key to ensuring power stability regardless of weather conditions or the dam water levels. The project is expected to serve over 50,000 people directly and open the door for future grid expansions across southern Gombe.
While the primary aim is to supply power, stakeholders say the benefits go far beyond electricity. For instance, local clinics will now be able to power refrigerators to store vaccines. Schools will introduce digital learning, and women-led businesses, especially those reliant on cold storage and sewing machines will thrive.
Moreover, the availability of power is expected to drive agro-processing ventures, especially in rice milling, fish farming, and maize drying, sectors that are currently underutilized due to energy challenges.
“This project will transform the economic landscape of Balanga. Electricity is the foundation of productivity and innovation,” said Ayuba Yakubu a resident in Talase the headquarters of Balanga LGA.
The Balanga project fits into Gombe State’s broader energy diversification and rural development strategy.
Under Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration, the state has aggressively pursued partnerships with private developers and federal agencies to attract investment into renewable energy and other sectors. This includes solar streetlight installations, ongoing grid extension programmes, and now, a model hybrid system intended for replication across other LGAs.
Speaking during the launch of the project, the Governor who was represented by his deputy Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau emphasized that the project is part of a long-term roadmap to make Gombe a hub for clean energy in Nigeria’s North-East.
“Energy access is a right, not a privilege. Our goal is to provide reliable power to every community in Gombe State. We are starting with Balanga because they’ve suffered too long,” he stated.
As work begins at the Balanga Dam site, a sense of optimism ripples across the communities. For the first time in decades, residents can envision a future where power is not a luxury but a given.
