Adeleke Plans Solar Power For More Off-Grid In Osun Communities

The Osun State Government has said it is intensifying efforts to reduce dependence on Nigeria’s national electricity grid, with plans to expand renewable energy access to underserved communities across the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Renewable Energy, Mr. Funmiso Babarinde, disclosed this on Tuesday during a Media Parley organised by the Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA) in Osogbo.

Babarinde said the state’s renewable energy initiative has already begun yielding results, revealing that residents of Ayetoro Village in Ife South Local Government Area are currently benefiting from a state-backed solar mini-grid project.

According to him, the project is part of the government’s broader strategy to provide alternative sources of electricity to communities that remain outside the national grid.

“People of Ayetoro Village in Ife South Local Government are already on a solar grid. They have access to clean renewable energy which they are using as of today,” he said.

The governor’s aide, however, identified inadequate funding as a major obstacle to expanding the initiative to other communities.

He disclosed that at least 19 communities across the state are yet to be connected to the national grid, adding that the government would have extended solar infrastructure to many of them if sufficient resources were available.

“If not for the issue of funding, we have not less than 19 communities that are currently not connected to the electricity grid, and we would have liked to put them on the solar grid,” Babarinde said.

The development comes amid efforts by the state government to establish a framework for independent electricity generation and distribution following the passage of the Osun State Electricity Bill 2025 by the State House of Assembly.

The legislation is expected to decentralise electricity generation, transmission and distribution within the state, while also creating the Osun State Electricity Regulatory Commission to oversee the sector.

Speaking on the achievements recorded by the Office of Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Babarinde said the government has distributed more than 10,000 solar lamps to rural communities, particularly targeting schoolchildren.

He explained that the intervention was designed to improve learning conditions and enable students to study at night despite inadequate electricity supply in their communities.

“We have distributed over 10,000 solar lamps in our villages, especially to children, to enhance reading at night and help them with their assignments,” he said.

Babarinde also disclosed that Osun recorded a significant improvement in climate governance performance over the past year.

According to him, the state moved from 30th position to sixth among the 36 states of the federation in the Subnational Climate Governance Performance Ranking, a development he attributed to ongoing reforms and investments in renewable energy and climate-focused initiatives.

He reiterated the administration’s commitment to expanding access to clean energy and ensuring that more communities benefit from sustainable electricity solutions.