For the first time in history, the people of Mayo-Selbe, a remote community in Gashaka Local Government Council of Taraba State, now have access to electricity, thanks to a transformative off-grid solar electrification project.
The milestone, marked by jubilation across the village, was made possible through a partnership between the African Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation and the Australian High Commission, which funded the initiative under its Direct Aid Program.
The solar project, delivered in collaboration with Australian company Okra Solar and local implementing partner Creeds, at the time of filing this report, has powered no fewer than 63 households and energized the community’s future.
In celebration, residents poured into the streets, dancing, drumming, and expressing their joy over what many described as the beginning of a new chapter.
“Since I was born, I have never seen light in this community,” said resident Richard Okorie Emmanuel. “But today, it feels like the sun has come down to live with us.”
Another resident, Absatu Ladan, highlighted the potential economic impact, saying, “We can now power our shops, our children can study at night, and the health centre will operate better. This is more than electricity. It’s opportunity.”
The commissioning ceremony, held at the palace of the community monarch, Yerima Thomas Maiyanga, was attended by government officials, traditional leaders, and representatives of partner organizations. Maiyanga praised the initiative.
Describing the initiative as a “beacon of partnership,” the monarch of the community, Yerima Thomas Maiyanga, pledged continued support for conservation efforts around the Gashaka Gumti National Park—Nigeria’s largest national park and the focus of ANI’s broader community and conservation work.
Dr. O.C. Oladipo, who represented the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, described the electrification as a significant step toward community empowerment and lauded ANI Foundation for connecting conservation goals with local development.
In a message from the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Leilani Bin-Juda, delivered by ANI’s Country Manager, Nacha Geoffrey stated that, “This project is a testament to the power of partnerships. It’s inspiring to see how collaboration has brought clean, green solar energy to Mayo-Selbe. This is about tangible change, and it’s only the beginning.”
Also present was retired Federal High Court judge and Code of Conduct Bureau member, Justice Ibrahim Buba, who emphasized that the project represents smart, sustainable development rooted in local needs.
The State Commissioner for Heritage and Ecotourism, Titus Joseph Nagombe, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to environmentally responsible development, praising the project as a perfect match for Governor Agbu Kefas’s grassroots development agenda.
Other dignitaries, including the Lamdo of Gashaka, Zubairu Hammangabdo Sambo, and Local Government Chairman, Yusuf Alura, expressed gratitude and pledged continued collaboration to expand similar initiatives across the region.
As the sun set on Mayo-Selbe, it did so over a community forever transformed not just by electricity, but by the promise of progress powered by unity, innovation, and shared purpose.
