By Vera Osokpo
The Federal Government has commissioned a 3MW captive solar hybrid power plant at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as the University of Abuja, to provide reliable and cleaner electricity to the institution’s 58,726 students and wider campus community.
The project was delivered by the Rural Electrification Agency under Phase II of the Energising Education Programme. It is expected to end the university’s dependence on diesel generators, reduce energy costs and provide a more stable power supply for teaching, research and administrative activities.
The facility includes a 3.3MWp solar array, 3MW of alternating-current output and a 2MWh battery-storage system. It is also supported by dedicated grid supply during periods when solar power is unavailable.
In addition, 388 solar-powered streetlights have been installed across the campus to improve visibility and security. The lighting system is expected to create safer conditions for students and staff to study and move around the university after dark.
Commissioning the project, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, described the investment as a direct contribution to human-capital development. He said reliable electricity would protect academic facilities and specialist equipment, reduce the financial pressure caused by diesel purchases and support research and learning.
“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.
He linked the project to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, under which electricity investments are being directed towards services and activities that have a direct impact on citizens’ lives.
Yakubu Gowon University is one of nine institutions covered under Phase II of the Energising Education Programme. The phase includes seven universities and two teaching hospitals as the Federal Government extends dedicated electricity infrastructure to public institutions across the country.
Tegbe said the continuation of the programme demonstrated the government’s long-term commitment to improving conditions for young Nigerians beyond individual commissioning ceremonies.
The minister urged students and staff to help protect the new facility by reporting vandalism involving the solar system, transformers, transmission towers and other electricity assets.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Power was developing a nationwide electricity complaints call centre that would also create employment opportunities for young Nigerians. The ministry is also working on a dedicated channel through which cases of electricity-asset vandalism can be reported for immediate action.
A joint team comprising the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is working to combat the vandalism of electricity infrastructure nationwide.
Tegbe commended the REA Board, chaired by Ayodele Fayose, the agency’s management led by Abba Abubakar Aliyu, the Nigeria Electrification Programme team and the project contractor for delivering the facility.
He also appreciated the support of the World Bank, the Ministry of Education, the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the university’s management.
The REA has committed to sustaining the battery-storage system to ensure that the plant continues to meet the university’s electricity needs. The project is expected to permanently end diesel-generator use on campus and lower the institution’s overall cost of electricity supply.