While many Nigerians already take electricity for granted, having been a part of the reality of their lives through the years, there are still many communities across the country still living, quite literally, in the dark.

Mayo Selbe, a community tucked deep behind the rolling hills and mountain peaks of Gashaka Gumti National Park and the Mambilla Plateau, was one such village for whom electricity was something they could only dream of.

While it is a sad commentary indeed for Nigeria as a country blessed with vast and abundant natural and human resources, the reality dictates the lives of people living in Mayo Selbe and many of the communities living in the southern part of Taraba State, close to the border of Gashaka Gumti National Park.

More poignant is the fact that the huge 3,050 megawatt hydroelectric Mambilla Power Project was meant to have been built on the Mambilla Plateau near the border with Cameroon, just over an hour’s drive from Mayo Selbe.

Conceived as far back as 1972 to be one of the biggest power projects in Africa, it still remains on the drawing board with little to show.

Despite the continued delay of the Mambilla Power Project, some respite has come to the people of Mayo Selbe in the form of an off-grid electrification project powered by collaboration between Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation and the Australia High Commission in Nigeria.

Thus, it came as no surprise to hear some of the beneficiaries wax lyrical about the value of the intervention by ANI Foundation. A man from the eastern part of the country who has lived in Mayo Selbe for the past 35 years, Richard Okorie, was effusive in his appreciation of ANI.

According to him, the scheme will save him a lot of the money he would have spent on petrol to power his business and his residence.

“Knowing that the Gashaka Gumti National Park, being operated by the National Park Service (NPS), is here, this is the type of benefits one can look forward to. The partnership between NPS and ANI has yielded this wonderful project. It is a huge relief to finally have electricity, which as you can see, is why I can now watch TV, put on the fan and power my business,” Okorie said.

A female beneficiary, Hafsatu Ladan, who also spoke on the development, described the electrification project as God-sent to the community, stating: “It is a new beginning for the community and the people of Mayo Selbe are more than happy with the development, which will not only empower those who own shops in the community but will also help our children study anytime of the day.”

According to senior officials of ANI Foundation, a Nigerian -led not-for-profit organisation working to protect Gashaka Gumti National Park in partnership with the Federal Government, the project was conceived and delivered in continuation of its objective to transform and empower communities living around the national park.

The foundation provides hands-on protected area management including community engagement, ranger-led law enforcement, and enterprise planning support delivered through long-term management and partnership agreements with government.

The not-for-profit organisation currently works in Gashaka Gumti National Park in Taraba and Adamawa States and Okomu National Park in Edo State. Its objective is to protect Nigeria’s incredible biodiversity while demonstrating that conservation can drive local economic development through the long-term co-management of protected areas.

According to the foundation’s Country Manager, Nacha Geoffrey, the off-grid project was funded entirely by the Australian High Commission in Nigeria through its Direct Aid Programme and delivered electricity to 63 households in the community.

Geoffrey, while speaking about the distribution of the facility across the community, said the houses connected were chosen by a GPS-driven scientific method of mapping the community to determine the spread.

During the commissioning of the project on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at the palace of the community chief, His Royal Highness, Yerima Thomas Maiyanga, the joy was palpable on the faces of the people as they danced, cheered and rejoiced at intervals. Known as Kum Mayo Selbe, Maiyanga was effusive in his praise of ANI Foundation and the National Park Service.

“ANI Foundation has carried out many initiatives to empower and equip community members since they started working at the Gashaka Gumti National Park, in partnership with the National Park Service. We have seen the empowerment scheme for women for example, whose impact has been felt in different households and across the community. Today, 63 households have been connected to the electricity project, this is even more than we ever dreamt about,” Maiyanga stated.

In his address at the event, the Conservator-General (CG) of the National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Goni, described the commissioning of the project as a new milestone by the foundation in its unrelenting efforts regarding community empowerment.

Goni, who was represented by the Assistant Conservator-General, Cornelius Oladipo, spoke directly to the people of Mayo Selbe as part of his speech, saying: “I congratulate you on this transformative development and urge you to safeguard this solar infrastructure and continue to work closely with the National Park Service and ANI Foundation.”

On her part, the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Her Excellency, Ms Leilani Bin-Juda, described the commissioning event as a meaningful milestone regarding community impact.

“It is truly inspiring to see the fruits of the collaboration between such an innovative Australian company, Okra Solar, and our esteemed partner through the High Commission’s Direct Aid Program, Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, who have been carrying out remarkable projects helping local communities, particularly around the Gashaka Gumti National Park.

“This initiative, which will bring clean, green, solar energy to 63 households in Mayo Selbe for the first time, represents a meaningful milestone in delivering tangible benefits to the local community around Gashaka Gumti National Park,” she stated in a message delivered by Geoffrey, ANI Country Manager.

For everyone present at the event that day, one thing was clear: the scheme would transform lives as it is known in the village, especially at night and particularly in the selected households. This much was captured by dignitaries, government officials and guests, with many pointing out the project as a symbol of remarkable development in the Gashaka landscape.

As a son of the soil who also leads the tourism efforts of the state, the Commissioner for Heritage and Ecotourism, Nagombe, is well qualified to dwell on the essence of the project.

According to him, the project aligns with the developmental goals of the Agbu Kefas administration while restating the support of the Taraba State Government for ANI Foundation and other development partners, especially on projects around the Gashaka Gumti National, which contains highest mountain peak in Nigeria and West Africa.

“It is indeed heartwarming to see the ANI Foundation partnership with the National Park Service delivering tangible community development linked to tourism initiatives, in Taraba State. As far as Justice Ibrahim Buba, a member of the Code of Conduct Bureau and retired judge of the Federal High Court, was concerned, the project demonstrates a partnership founded on vision and commitment.

“The commissioning of this solar electrification project in Mayo Selbe is a testament to what can be achieved when vision meets commitment. This initiative, spearheaded by the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation in partnership with the Australian High Commission and the Gashaka community, exemplifies a truly transformative collaboration. As many of you know, our community in Gashaka has long been a dedicated partner with the ANI Foundation, working tirelessly to preserve our natural heritage while fostering sustainable development. It is not easy to give people electricity, ANI is doing it, which is essentially about carrying out a revolution without making noise,” Buba submitted.

Also speaking at the event, the Lamdo of Gashaka, Zubairu Hammangabdo Sambo, commended the partnership between ANI Foundation and the Australian High Commission, saying the project marks a new height in community development initiatives in Gashaka and beyond and builds on other projects by the foundation, including the training of hundreds of women in the area of modern agricultural practices.

Implemented by Creeds Energy, a Nigerian clean-tech company focused on sustainable, affordable and reliable solar solutions, the project is set for expansion based on the success of the pilot phase. David Peter, Deputy Project Manager of ANI Foundation, spoke about this during his speech at the event. This project is a one-of-a-kind, it is the first time we would have such a project in one of the communities around Gashaka Gumti National Park. More of such are in the pipeline and the plan is to replicate this in many more communities.

With electricity remaining a luxury in many communities in the area, Hassan Musa, another resident, said Mayo Selbe is now one of those to be envied across the Gashaka landscape, all thanks to ANI Foundation and the Australian High Commission.