*Abba Abubakar Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, affirms the Federal Government has earmarked N100 billion in the 2025 Budget to provide solar mini-grids in selected government institutions, Federal Universities, and their teaching hospitals across the country

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

For a reliable, cost-effective and climate-friendly power supply, the Federal Government has allotted N100billion in the 2025 Budget to provide solar mini-grids in selected government institutions, Federal Universities and their teaching hospitals across the country.

绿帽献妻 reports Abba Aliyu, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), disclosed this Tuesday, February 11, 2025, as a guest on a Channels TV programme, monitored in Lagos.

Aliyu said once the 2025 Budget is passed by the National Assembly (NASS), in Abuja, FCT, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signs it into law, his regulatory agency would begin work to provide reliable, cost-effective and climate-friendly power supply in the said government institutions.

It is noted that the students of the University of Ibadan (UI) staged a protest against a 100-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH) recently.

Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Honourable Minister for Power, however, assured the angry undergraduates that electricity would be restored in their academic institution.

On source of N100bn funding for power supply and ‘solarisation’ project

The Managing Director of REA said the funding would come under the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Power.

He stated that it is 鈥渁 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.”

The current government, he noted, had analysed the amount spent by public institutions for the procurement of diesel and generating sets.

Aliyu, however, said: “To address that, that funding is being provided for us to solarise the institutions.”

The REA Chief said solar mini-grids would be deployed to the University of Ibadan, and four others, including the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife; University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), in Zaria, Kaduna State, to address the power situation on the campuses.

He said: 鈥淚n 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.”

The Managing Director stated: 鈥淚 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.

鈥淭he 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.鈥�

According to him, before the next six months, REA would commission at least 60 mini-grids, and start the process of deploying 40 interconnect grids to create reliability.

Meanwhile, Aliyu has revealed agency has already completed interventions in some universities and teaching hospitals across the country.

鈥淲e 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.

鈥淔or 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,” he noted.

The REA Chief Executive added: “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.鈥�