Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has unveiled the long-awaited restoration of electricity to Taura, ending a 16-year blackout and marking a major milestone for residents of Taura and Kwalam communities.
Reports indicate that the prolonged outage had crippled small businesses, raised the cost of living, and limited access to essential services such as potable water, healthcare, and communication. Community members described the restoration as a transformative development that will reshape both the social and economic landscape of the area.
Speaking during the official unveiling of the electricity restoration, part of the Citizens’ Engagement Programme in Taura on Sunday, Namadi said the reconnection fulfils his campaign pledge to restore stable electricity to dozens of communities across Ringim and Taura LGAs.
“Today, I am a witness, not someone who only heard. When I entered Taura Local Government for the first time, by the will of God, we switched on electricity in Taura after more than ten years. Today, by God’s grace, the people of Taura Local Government have received electricity provided for them by the Jigawa State Government,” he said.
He emphasised that expanding rural and urban electrification is central to his administration’s development agenda aimed at boosting economic growth, improving livelihoods, and reducing rural–urban migration.
Earlier, Surajo Musa, the Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, said the government has invested heavily in rehabilitating aging power lines, replacing faulty transformers, and upgrading distribution networks to ensure a reliable and sustainable electricity supply.
He explained that the state’s electricity expansion project is a major infrastructural initiative involving high-tension and low-tension lines totalling more than 280 km, with an estimated 6,734 poles and 39 transformer units of various capacities required to complete the network.
As part of the week-long Citizens’ Engagement Programme (Gwamnati da Jama’a), Governor Namadi also flagged off the construction of the 26 km Chuwasu–Chakwaikwaiwa–Zangon Maje rural feeder road, awarded to Spacegrove Investment Nigeria Limited at a cost of ₦4.52 billion. The project is one of 15 rural roads approved in September 2024, covering a combined 263.8 km across the state.
Read also: Namadi to invest ₦81bn in six regional roads to boost Jigawa economy
According to him, “From the report I received, this feeder road will be completed within the specified time. I am glad to hear from the contractors that their payments have been consistent and timely. We will continue to ensure that all contractors are paid when due, and we urge them to double their efforts so all projects are completed within the stipulated period.”
The governor also commissioned the renovated and upgraded Taura Primary Healthcare Centre and inaugurated a newly constructed residence for the District Head of Kwalam, executed by the local government council.
As has been the practice in every local government visited, community leaders presented Governor Namadi with a compendium of priority needs of the people of Taura, outlining their development aspirations.
