FG Powers 24 Tertiary Institutions With Solar Energy
FG Powers 24 Tertiary Institutions With Solar Energy
The Federal Government has announced the successful implementation of solar energy systems in 24 federal tertiary institutions across the country, under the Energising Education Project (EEP), a flagship initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration aimed at ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply to campuses.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday during the Collaboration Agreement Signing Ceremony with Vice-Chancellors of eight additional beneficiary institutions in Abuja, signaling the start of the project’s fourth phase.
Describing the initiative as a “new day for Nigeria,” Dr. Alausa said the EEP is delivering transformative benefits for both the education and energy sectors by powering university campuses and teaching hospitals with reliable, renewable energy.
“This project brings continuous, 24-hour electricity to our institutions. It allows for increased academic activity, powers laboratories and libraries throughout the day and night, and improves living and learning conditions for both students and faculty,” the minister said.
He made the remarks following an inspection of the solar energy facility at the University of Abuja, now renamed Yakubu Gowon University, where he highlighted the institution’s solar farm made up of 6,000 photovoltaic panels, generating approximately 3.3 megawatts of electricity daily—sufficient to power the campus round-the-clock.
“Any campus is a community by itself. With constant power supply, you unleash high economic activity,” he added, while urging university leaders to find innovative and sustainable models to maintain the systems.
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Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, noted that the first three phases of the project have already impacted over 600,000 students and 50,000 academic staff, and collectively generated over 100 megawatts of electricity for campuses and associated teaching hospitals.
The eight new universities onboarded into the fourth phase include: 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 (Osun State), University of Lagos
The Minister emphasized the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that every tertiary institution in Nigeria benefits from renewable energy infrastructure by 2027, a move expected to drastically reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote sustainability in the education sector.
