The Federal Government has vowed to tackle Nigeria’s power challenges, with the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, assuring Nigerians that the administration of President Bola Tinubu will deliver on its promise of improved electricity supply.
Tegbe gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja while commissioning a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
The project, delivered under Phase II of the Federal Government’s Energising Education Programme, is expected to provide more reliable electricity for teaching, research, laboratories, digital services and other critical activities at the university.
The intervention was implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency through the World Bank-funded Nigeria Electrification Project.
The facility comprises a 3.3MW solar array, 3MW AC output capacity and 2MWh battery storage designed to support critical loads beyond daylight hours. The project also includes 388 solar-powered streetlights to improve lighting and security across the campus.
Speaking at the commissioning, Tegbe said the project demonstrated how investment in electricity could directly support human capital development.
“There is perhaps no better place to demonstrate the practical value of Nigeria’s energy transition than a university,” the minister said.
He explained that universities required dependable power not only for classrooms, but also for research, laboratories, technology, administration and digital services.
Tegbe, who described the commissioning as the beginning rather than the end of the investment, said the government was also working to ensure that renewable energy facilities remained functional over the long term.
He said the newly established Renewable Asset Management Company would play a role in ensuring proper management and maintenance of renewable energy assets.
The minister also disclosed that efforts were underway to extend electricity coverage to other parts of the university, including student hostels, following requests from the institution’s Student Union Government and management.
He said the government would work towards ensuring that other areas of the university were covered within six months.
The Managing Director of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the Energising Education Programme had evolved from simply providing electricity infrastructure to supporting education, research and human capital development.
According to him, the programme has so far delivered renewable energy infrastructure to 22 federal universities and three affiliated teaching hospitals, deploying more than 100MW of clean energy nationwide.
Aliyu said the experience gained from the projects had shown the need to pay as much attention to maintenance and long-term performance as to construction.
“We have become very good at asking, ‘How do we build more?’ We must now become equally rigorous about asking, ‘How do we protect what we have already built? How do we make it perform? And how do we preserve its value?’” he said.
The Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project, Olufemi Akinyelure, said the impact of the project should be measured beyond the electricity generated.
He said reliable electricity would enable laboratories to function, support research and create better conditions for students and lecturers.
“Government may not be in the business of making profit, but it must always be in the business of making progress,” Akinyelure said.
The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, described the project as a major investment in the institution’s academic mission.
Fawehinmi said the university could not effectively teach, conduct meaningful research, operate laboratories or sustain digital services without dependable electricity.
He assured the Federal Government and other partners that the university would properly utilise and maintain the facility.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the project underscored the need to connect government investment with sustainable outcomes.
Abaribe urged the university to take ownership of the facility and ensure that appropriate arrangements were made for its operation, maintenance and protection.
Beyond electricity generation, the project includes a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre designed to support practical learning and skills development in renewable energy technologies.
The programme also has a female STEM component aimed at giving students practical exposure to renewable energy and opportunities in the sector.
The project was delivered through collaboration among the Federal Government, REA, the Nigeria Electrification Project, the World Bank, Yakubu Gowon University and EMONE Energy Solutions.
With the facility now commissioned, the focus shifts to keeping it operational and ensuring that improved electricity translates into better learning, stronger research and greater opportunities for innovation at the university.
