Abuja: Determined to provide access to reliable electricity in Nigeria’s vital institutions, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has sanctioned a ₦68.7 billion investment aimed at electrifying universities and teaching hospitals across the country.
Spearheaded by the Ministry of Power and driven by the Energising Education Programme under the Rural Electrification Agency, the initiative is set to deliver solar-powered systems that will alleviate energy burdens, improve service delivery, and catalyse productivity in both the education and health sectors.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, hinted at this after Thursday’s FEC meeting, chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
He said the projects reflect the government’s resolve to ensure a steady electricity supply in vital sectors like health and education.
The university project involves engineering, procurement, and construction under the Energising Education Programme, led by the Rural Electrification Agency.
“This initiative aims to ease the energy cost burden on universities and hospitals by providing reliable, good-quality electricity,” Adelabu stated.
He described the current electricity situation in many institutions as “disturbing” and a threat to effective service delivery.
“The lack of stable power supply has created crises in some schools and hospitals, with institutions unable to afford local electricity,” he explained.
He added that blackouts and occasional industrial actions have occurred due to unreliable power.
Adelabu said similar renewable energy projects have already been implemented in some institutions, supported by the World Bank.
Completed projects include the University of Abuja, University of Niger (12MW solar), and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (8MW).
Others are the Nigerian Defence Academy (2.6MW) and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, which also uses solar power.
The newly approved funding will support electrification in eight additional universities and teaching hospitals nationwide.
These are: University of Lagos; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Also included are the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; the University of Ibadan with its University College Hospital; and the University of Calabar.
The Federal University, Wukari, is also among the new beneficiaries.
Adelabu said these new projects are expected to be completed within seven to nine months.
“This is another step to ensure our universities enjoy uninterrupted electricity. Our institutions will never be the same again,” he noted.
The second project approved targets Agricultural Centres of Excellence in rural areas using solar energy technology.
“This goes beyond lighting homes; it supports productive use of solar-powered equipment in rural areas,” Adelabu said.
He explained that the aim is to light up rural homes and power agro-processing businesses using solar systems.
The initiative will deliver solar-powered processing tools to small and micro agricultural enterprises in underserved communities.
