Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa state has unveiled the long-awaited restoration of electricity to Taura, ending over a decade of total blackouts and marking a historic milestone for the people of the Taura and Kwalam communities in the state.
The prolonged blackout had crippled small businesses, increased the cost of living, and limited access to essential services such as potable water, healthcare, and modern communication.
Community members described the restoration as a transformative development that will reshape both the social and economic landscape of the area.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Dutse by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hamisu Mohammed Gumel said, during the official unveiling of the electricity restoration as part of the Citizens Engagement Programme in Taura, Governor Umar Namadi said the reconnection fulfills his campaign pledge to restore stable electricity to dozens of communities across Ringim and Taura Local Government Areas.
“Alhamdulillah, 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.”
Umar Namadi emphasized 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.
The State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Engr. Surajo Musa, revealed that the government has invested substantially in rehabilitating aging power lines, replacing faulty transformers, and upgrading distribution networks to ensure sustained and reliable electricity supply.
According to him, the state electricity expansion project is a massive infrastructural development involving high-tension and low-tension lines totaling over 280 km and an estimated 6,734 poles and 39 transformer units across various capacities needed to complete the network.
As part of this week’s 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 the cost of ₦4.52 billion, which is one of 15 rural roads approved in September 2024, covering a combined 263.8 kilometers across the state.
Governor Namadi reassured the local residents of the project’s timely completion.
“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 further 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 norm in every local government area visited, community leaders presented Governor Namadi with a compendium of priority needs of the people of Taura, highlighting their development aspirations.
Usman Mohammed Zaria
