The Federal Government has earmarked ₦100 billion in the proposed 2025 budget, currently awaiting approval by the National Assembly, for the installation of solar mini-grids in selected government institutions, federal universities, and their teaching hospitals.
Abba Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), stated that once the budget is passed and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, the agency will commence efforts to provide reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly power solutions to these institutions.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Aliyu explained that the initiative falls under the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Power.
It’s “a new concept designed to reduce the cost of governance. N100bn has been allocated for it. We are going to use that funding to solarise the entire public institutions”, he said.
The REA boss said the current government analysed the amount spent by public institutions for the procurement of diesel and generating sets. “To address that, that funding is being provided for us to solarise the institutions,” he said.
Students of the University of Ibadan staged a protest against a 100-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH) on Monday with Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, assuring the displeased undergraduates that electricity would be restored in their institution.
The electrification agency boss said solar mini-grids would be deployed to the institution and four others across the country to address the situation.
“In the next six months, I will tell you that I have started the process of deploying mini-grids in an additional five universities. I will tell you that I have completed at least two of the eight mini-grids that I am deploying in the eight universities and one teaching hospital.
“I will also tell you that I have started solarising the public sector. We are looking at some key government parastatals in Abuja and outside Abuja.
“The UCH is part of the five that we are looking at starting. We are looking at starting at the University of Lagos. The minister of power was in Ibadan. We want to do the University of Ibadan plus the teaching hospital; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Ahmadu Bello University.”
The REA boss said before the next six months, his agency would commission at least 60 mini-grids, and start the process of deploying 40 interconnect grids to create reliability.
Aliyu said already his agency has already completed interventions in some universities and teaching hospitals across the country.
He said, “We recently completed intervention in seven universities and two teaching hospitals where we provided them with hybrid mini-grid that will provide them with 24-hour reliable cost-effective electricity.
“For example is the University of Maiduguri where we deployed 12 megawatts-capacity powering the university and the teaching hospital and has the potential to even power the only water treatment plant within the Maiduguri metropolitan. These are the types of interventions.
“We have now started a new line of eight universities and one teaching hospital. The commissioning of the new phase will start as early as April this year.”