By Ovie Okpare
Over 100 households and businesses in Gbelebu community, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State, will now have access to reliable electricity following the commissioning of a solar hybrid mini-grid in the community.
The project was delivered through a partnership between Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc (OOPC), the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), ETIN Power Limited and the Gbelebu community.
The mini-grid, commissioned on behalf of the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, by the Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa, is expected to reduce residents’ dependence on diesel and petrol generators while improving the operating environment for local businesses.
The facility has 61kWp of solar generation capacity, a 50kW inverter and 154kWh of battery storage, with an initial connection covering 100 households and micro, small and medium enterprises.
Speaking at the commissioning, Idahosa commended OOPC, PIND and ETIN Power for the initiative, describing it as more than an electricity project.
He said the intervention was an investment in the people, their livelihoods, economic opportunities and quality of life.
The Managing Director of Okomu Oil Palm Company, Dr Graham Hefer, said the project demonstrated the company’s commitment to delivering sustainable and measurable benefits to its host communities.
“Investing in energy infrastructure is an investment in the future of neighbouring communities,” Hefer said.
He added that the project showed how corporate investment, technical expertise and community ownership could combine to deliver meaningful development.
The initiative forms part of OOPC’s ₦1.2bn, three-year partnership with PIND, formalised in 2025 to support development across its host communities in Edo State.
The wider partnership focuses on peacebuilding, youth employment, agricultural development, access to finance and renewable energy.
PIND’s Programmes Director, Dr Effiong Essien, said reliable electricity could transform livelihoods and strengthen local businesses.
“Reliable electricity is more than infrastructure; it is an enabler of livelihoods, enterprise growth, and community resilience,” Essien said.
He urged the Gbelebu community to protect the facility and use the electricity productively, stressing that community ownership would be critical to its sustainability.
The Chief Executive Officer of ETIN Power Limited, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, SAN, assured residents and businesses of the company’s commitment to providing safe, reliable and quality electricity.
A Community Power Committee has also been established, while local operators will be trained in customer engagement, system management and routine maintenance.
The project was delivered under an implementation framework formalised by OOPC, PIND, ETIN Power and the Gbelebu community in May 2026.
Under the arrangement, OOPC provided the investment and served as host partner, PIND handled facilitation, community engagement, technical planning and implementation oversight, while ETIN Power designed and installed the system and will operate it.
The commissioning marks the commencement of commercial electricity services in Gbelebu and is expected to provide a model for extending renewable-energy access to other underserved communities around OOPC’s host areas.
PIND and OOPC said they would continue monitoring the project’s impact on household welfare, business productivity, employment creation and community resilience.
