FG inaugurates Africa’s largest off-grid solar power plant in BUK

THE Federal Government has inaugurated the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant in Bayero University, Kano, under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) aimed at providing sustainable, decentralised energy to the nation’s university campuses.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, inaugurated the project, according to a weekly bulletin of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja.

Osinbajo was quoted as saying the project was the second in the series after a similar one at Alex Ekwueme University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State.

He disclosed that the Energising Education Programme of the government is a project aimed at providing a conducive learning environment in Nigerian universities in the next four years.

As a result, he said 55,815 students and 3,077 staff of BUK now have access to electricity supply from the university’s 7.1 mega watts solar hybrid power plant.

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He explained that the EEP project under implementation by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) focuses on developing off-grid dedicated independent power plants and the rehabilitation of existing distribution infrastructure.

“The overall goal is targeted at supplying clean, safe and reliable power to 37 federal universities and seven affiliated university teaching hospitals,” Osinbajo said.

He reiterated that the inauguration at BUK included the launch of 11.41kilometres of solar-powered streetlights as well as a world-class renewable energy training centre.

The vice-president charged Nigerians to embrace the emerging renewable off-grid energy sector, saying it would generate significant impact for the Nigerian market, as well as the un-served, underserved communities and higher institutions of learning.

Professor Osinbajo stated that with the growing solar generation, there is a need for more private sector participation in collaboration with the Federal Government.

The managing director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi, described the project as the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant in Africa.

She said, “It is one that, as Nigerians, we should be very proud of, thanks to the commitment of the Federal Government towards sustainable energy and education.”

In his remarks, the vice chancellor of BUK, Professor Mohammed Bello, said students and staff of the university can now experience learning and teaching in a safer, cleaner and more conducive academic environment.

EEP is a Federal Government initiative under the Rural Electrification Agency aimed at providing off-grid captive power that is reliable and sustainable across 37 federal universities and seven federal teaching hospitals.

The phase one of the EEP cuts across nine federal universities and one teaching hospital located across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Phase one is fully funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and will train 180 female STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) students.

Within this phase, there are seven solar hybrid projects currently benefitting from funding from the Green Bond issued by the FGN. The phase one project was estimated to benefit 127,000 students and 28,000 staff of universities and 4,700 staff in teaching hospitals, including doctors, and power 2,850 streetlights.

Further analysis of the BUK power plant also showed that the project caters for 277 academic buildings, 120 commercial buildings and provides comfortable support accommodation for 478 staff.

It is estimated that about 16.5mw of existing generators and carbon dioxide emission will be conserved, thereby causing this quantum of megawatts capacity of petrol and diesel generators to be removed with the EEP becoming fully operational in the university.