By Abdullahi Lukman
The federal government has powered 24 federal institutions across Nigeria with solar energy, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s “Energising Education Project,” aimed at providing uninterrupted electricity to the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this disclosure during a Collaboration Agreement Signing Ceremony with vice chancellors of beneficiary institutions in Abuja on Wednesday.
He also revealed that eight additional universities have signed collaboration agreements to join the project’s fourth phase.
Prior to the ceremony, the Minister inspected the solar-powered facility at the University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University.
Alausa hailed the transformative initiative as a “new day for Nigeria,” emphasizing its wide-reaching benefits for both education and the national economy.
He highlighted the University of Abuja, which now operates a solar farm with 6,000 photovoltaic panels, generating approximately 3.3 megawatts of electricity daily – sufficient to power the entire campus 24/7.
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The minister challenged university vice chancellors to develop innovative and creative strategies for sustaining the project, stating that the government aims to equip every tertiary institution with renewable energy generation by 2027.
Abba Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), reported that the project’s first three phases have positively impacted over 600,000 students and 50,000 academic staff.
The project, he said, has also generated over 100 megawatts of electricity to power university campuses and teaching hospitals.
He explained that the initiative, implemented through multiple phases, has already delivered solar mini-grid infrastructure to 24 federal universities nationwide.
Aliyu further stated that the Universal Public Health Project, part of phase 2, has successfully provided clean energy to two universities and two teaching hospitals.
He added that Phase 3, which includes the electrification of eight more universities and one additional teaching hospital, is nearing completion and is scheduled for commissioning within the next two months.
The eight new beneficiary institutions joining the fourth phase include Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State; Federal University Dutse; University of Benin; University of Ibadan; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; and the University of Lagos.
