FG Inaugurates 3MW Solar Plant, Trains 300 Students
The Federal Government has commissioned a 3MW solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, formerly the University of Abuja, to strengthen electricity supply for teaching, research, laboratories and other critical operations.
The project, delivered under Phase II of the Energising Education Programme, was commissioned on Wednesday by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, in collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency and the World Bank-funded Nigeria Electrification Project.
The intervention comes as universities face the challenge of providing dependable electricity for academic activities, digital services, student accommodation and campus security.
Tegbe, who said he was pleased to return to his alma mater, said the project demonstrated the importance of connecting energy investment with human capital development.
“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: learning, research, healthcare, technology, administration and, increasingly, the digital infrastructure through which knowledge is created and shared.
“This facility combines a 3.3 megawatt solar array with 3 megawatts of AC output capacity and 2 megawatt hours of battery storage to support critical loads after solar hours,” he said.
The minister said the project was only the beginning of efforts to improve electricity supply across the university, responding to a request from the Student Union Government for power to be extended to hostels and other areas.
He said, “What you can be sure, and the rest are sure, is that we will look into it, and we’ll make sure the battery system… We currently have three megawatts solar panel capacity, and we’ll have three megawatts battery capacity. Typically, with this kind of project, what you do is you can double the battery capacity so that your storage capacity is much higher, and then you can serve other areas.”
He added, “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.”
The facility combines a 3.3MW solar array with 3MW of AC output capacity and two megawatt-hours of battery storage, according to the project details presented at the commissioning. The battery system is designed to support critical loads beyond solar hours.
Tegbe said the project would also improve campus illumination and security through 388 streetlights. He urged the university community to protect the infrastructure from vandalism, stressing that 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. You will not believe how many towers get pulled down by vandals. There are big vandals all over the country,” he said.
The minister also announced that the government was developing systems to ensure that renewable energy assets were maintained after commissioning.
Tegbe linked the sustainability plan to the Renewable Asset Management Company, which he said would support the maintenance of renewable energy assets. He also announced plans for a similar arrangement for national grid assets.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, Abba Aliyu, said the Energising Education Programme had delivered renewable energy infrastructure to 22 federal universities and three affiliated teaching hospitals, with more than 100MW of clean energy deployed.
He urged the university to use the project as a research platform for renewable energy, battery storage, grid integration, smart metering and energy management.
The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, described the project as a major investment in the university’s academic mission.
