By Adebola Muili
The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has commissioned a 3MW captive solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja, designed to provide stable and cleaner electricity to the university community of 58,726 students.
The project, developed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under Phase II of the Energising Education Programme (EEP), combines a 3.3MWp solar array, 3MW AC output and a 2MWh battery storage system, with dedicated grid supply available outside solar generation hours.
The facility also includes 388 solar-powered streetlights installed across the campus to improve visibility and security and provide safer conditions for students and staff to study and move around the university after dark.
Commissioning the project, Tegbe described the investment as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve electricity supply to educational institutions and protect investments in academic infrastructure.
The minister said reliable electricity would help reduce disruption to learning and research while cutting the university’s dependence on diesel-powered generators and the associated cost of running them.
“Energizing education also protects the investments already made in academic facilities and specialist equipment. It reduces the disruption that weakens research and makes learning more difficult,” Tegbe said.
“These benefits extend beyond the campus, through graduates whose skills strengthen the economy and research that helps solve the country’s problems,” he added.
Tegbe linked the project to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying investments in electricity were being directed towards services and activities that directly improve the lives of Nigerians.
Yakubu Gowon University is one of nine institutions covered under Phase II of the EEP, comprising seven universities and two teaching hospitals, as the Federal Government expands campus electrification across the country.
The minister said the continuation of the programme across successive phases demonstrated the government’s commitment to improving electricity supply for young Nigerians and educational institutions.
Tegbe also urged students and staff of the university to protect the newly installed infrastructure by reporting vandalism of the solar facility and other electricity assets, including transformers and transmission towers.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Power was developing a nationwide electricity complaints call centre which would also create employment opportunities for young Nigerians, alongside a dedicated channel for reporting vandalism of electricity infrastructure for prompt intervention.
According to him, a joint team comprising personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is working to curb the vandalism of electricity infrastructure nationwide.
The minister commended the REA Board, chaired by Ayodele Fayose, the management of the agency led by Abba Abubakar Aliyu, the Nigeria Electrification Programme team and the project contractor for the delivery of the facility.
He also acknowledged the support of the World Bank, the Ministry of Education, the FCT Administration and the university management towards the project.
The REA has committed to sustaining the battery storage system to meet the university’s electricity needs, with the project expected to permanently eliminate the institution’s reliance on diesel generators and reduce its overall electricity supply costs.
The commissioning was attended by the ministers of the Federal Capital Territory and Education, members of the Governing Council and executive leadership of Yakubu Gowon University, development partners, staff and students.
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