The Federal Government has commissioned a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, formerly the University of Abuja, as part of efforts to improve electricity supply for teaching, research, laboratory operations and other critical activities.
The project was commissioned on Wednesday by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, under Phase II of the Energising Education Programme, in collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the World Bank-funded Nigeria Electrification Project.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Tegbe, who described the university as his alma mater, said reliable electricity was critical to the effective functioning of modern universities and their contribution to human capital development.
He said universities provided an ideal setting for demonstrating the practical benefits of Nigeria’s energy transition because they depend on electricity for learning, research, healthcare, technology, administration and digital infrastructure.
“There is perhaps no better place to demonstrate the practical value of Nigeria’s energy transition than a university. A university brings together everything that a modern energy system is expected to support,” Tegbe said.
The minister said the facility comprises a 3.3MW solar array, 3MW AC output capacity and 2 megawatt-hours of battery storage, allowing the university to maintain power for critical loads beyond periods of solar generation.
Tegbe said the project was the beginning of further efforts to improve electricity supply across the university, particularly following a request by the Students’ Union Government for power to be extended to student hostels and other parts of the campus.
“Your Vice-Chancellor has come to see me on this, and we’re looking into it. I will make sure that in the next six months, every other area will be covered,” he said.
The project also includes 388 streetlights expected to improve illumination and security across the university campus.
Tegbe urged the university community to protect the infrastructure against vandalism, saying the government was working with security agencies to safeguard national assets.
“We set up a joint working committee with EFCC, with the police, with the civil defence corps, to monitor our national assets,” he said.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of REA, Abba Aliyu, said the Energising Education Programme had so far delivered renewable energy infrastructure to 22 federal universities and three affiliated teaching hospitals.
According to Aliyu, more than 100MW of clean energy has been deployed under the programme.
He said the objective was not merely to install solar panels but to create conditions that would allow students to learn, lecturers to teach, researchers to work, laboratories to function and universities to operate with greater certainty.
Aliyu urged Yakubu Gowon University to use the new facility as more than a power source by integrating it into teaching, research and technical training.
He identified renewable energy, battery storage, grid integration, smart metering and energy management as areas where the infrastructure could provide opportunities for academic research and practical learning.
The project also features a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre and a component dedicated to encouraging female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, described the project as a significant investment in the institution’s academic mission.
Fawehinmi said dependable electricity was essential for effective teaching, meaningful research, laboratory operations, digital services and the creation of an environment conducive to learning and innovation.
“A university such as ours cannot teach effectively, conduct meaningful research, operate its laboratories, sustain digital services or even provide the conducive environment required for learning and innovation without dependable power supply,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor said the project would strengthen the university’s capacity to deliver its academic responsibilities while creating opportunities for innovation and practical skills development.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, also stressed the importance of reliable electricity to education and urged continued investment in the power sector.
The commissioning adds Yakubu Gowon University to the federal institutions benefiting from the Energising Education Programme, with the new facility expected to provide more dependable power for academic and operational activities while supporting renewable-energy training and research.
