Mid-Week Brief: How Niger State Is Quietly Becoming Nigeria’s Solar Capital

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The work of government is measured by what changes on the ground. In Niger State, that change is now visible in the energy sector. Under Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, the focus has shifted from promises to projects, and this week Government House Minna recorded two major moves that bring the state closer to its energy goal.

The administration’s target has always been clear: 1 Gigawatt of solar power by 2030. 
This week, the Farmer Governor received ALDESA Group, the renewable energy arm of CCECC. The state has secured additional funding for another 200 megawatts of solar. Bids have been opened and CCECC was invited to formally submit. This is not a pilot. It is scale. From the 100MW IsDB project to this new 200MW, the state is stacking megawatts deliberately. Executive Director, Mr. Austin Qi, said CCECC will key into the state’s commitment to safety, quality and sustainability. The conversation with partners has now moved from intention to delivery timelines.

To ensure governance keeps pace with investment, the Farmer Governor inaugurated a 12-member Project Steering Committee for the IsDB-funded 100MW off-grid solar plant at Makunkele, Bosso LGA.  

This will be the first 100MW subnational off-grid solar plant in Nigeria. The committee is chaired by SSG Abubakar Usman, with Hon. Suleiman Umar, Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, as Alternate Chairman, and Mustapha Bida, Chairman NNDP, as Secretary. Members drawn from Finance, Budget, Lands, Justice, Youth, Women Affairs, BPP and DMO have a clear mandate: coordination, compliance, and clearing bottlenecks quickly so that work begins and continues without delay.

None of this happens without the team doing the daily work.  

Hon. Suleiman Umar and the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy have been converting policy into projects. From investor engagements to site assessments, and aligning with IsDB, REA and other partners, the Ministry has been running at full speed.  

Behind him, Permanent Secretary Dr. Gana has provided institutional stability. The Directors of Engineering and Electrical have been central to the technical side, reviewing designs, validating capacity, and ensuring that grid integration and mini-grid plans are bankable and practical. 
The Farmer Governor specifically commended the Commissioner and his team this week for their frantic efforts in pushing a project he described as very critical. That commendation recognizes the meetings, due diligence, and problem-solving that don’t make headlines but make projects real.

Between the 200MW new funding and the 100MW IsDB project, Niger State now has 300MW in active motion. That is power for irrigation, for cold rooms, for SMEs, for schools and hospitals across all 25 LGAs. 
The background was darkness and dependency. The foreground now is investment, structure, and execution.  

The Farmer Governor’s position remains unchanged: Niger State will lead Nigeria in clean, renewable energy. Not by announcement, but by megawatts delivered.

#StrongerTogether: Building The New Niger With Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago











From: Office of the Honourable Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Niger State 

A.B Makama, Media Strategist




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