FG commissions 1.6MW solar mini-grid at Lafia University, cuts electricity costs by N30m monthly

The Federal Government of Nigeria has commissioned a 1.6-megawatt solar hybrid mini-grid to serve the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, saving the institution N30 million monthly in electricity expenditure.

The hybrid power plant comprises an approximately 1.6MWp photovoltaic (PV) solar park, configured with a Power Conditioning System, PCS, and an Energy Storage System, ESS, to support power reliability, peak shaving and the supply of critical loads beyond daylight hours.

Speaking on Thursday at the commissioning of the project under the Rural Electrification Agency’s, REA, Energising Education Programme, EEP, in Lafia, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for considering the university, noting that the intervention had reduced the burden on the state.

“My opinion is that we should build as many mini-grids as possible. That is the future of Nigeria’s electrification. To reach those without access, we can focus on mini-grids.”

“This is the practical way to solve our problems. I appreciate that we have a practical President and a practical Minister to tackle these problems head-on,” the governor said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian has access to electricity.

Reflecting on the results of the three-month test run of the facility, as reported by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Tegbe noted that the Nigerian government’s desire and commitment was to ensure that, just as the Federal University of Lafia and other institutions under the Energising Education Programme (EEP) were enjoying uninterrupted electricity, other Nigerians would soon experience the same.

The minister acknowledged that the Federal Government’s investment in infrastructure that enables people to learn, work and fulfil their potential was central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Under his leadership, investment in electricity is being directed toward the services and productive activities that improve people’s lives. Here, that commitment finds expression in better conditions for scholarship and a stronger foundation for the aspirations of our young people,” he said.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, noted that the Federal Government was moving beyond fragmented efforts towards coordinated and scalable electrification programmes.

He also commended Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule for being a pacesetter in renewable energy adoption, while appreciating the support of funding and development partners, particularly the African Development Bank (AfDB), in piloting the Energising Education Programme (EEP).

The REA managing director further disclosed that the agency had financed the completion of 22 mini-grid projects in Nasarawa State, adding that another 37 projects would be developed shortly.

Highlighting the impact of reliable electricity on productivity, a 300-level student, Raimat Abdullahi, said the stable power supply had enabled her to study for longer periods.

Aliyu noted that her experience underscored the difference reliable electricity could make in preventing disruptions to academic activities.

He explained that electricity was about eliminating limitations and making previously unimaginable possibilities achievable, adding:

“It is not just about electrifying a university; it is about connecting an entire generation of Nigerians to a world full of opportunities.”

“What we are commissioning is an investment in technology and a competitive ecosystem. Universities are engines of building our future.”

“We are building an interconnected ecosystem of electricity. Our strategy recognises that electricity must be delivered when it can unlock the greatest socio-economic value across various clusters in the country.”

“Our ambition is to build a renewable economy around the electrification of Nigeria,” Aliyu said.

In his address, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Mohammed Isa Kida, noted that the institution had enjoyed uninterrupted power supply since the test run began.

He described the intervention as a strategic initiative that would significantly enhance the university’s capacity to fulfil its mandate, benefiting more than 30,000 students and staff members.

He added that the project was expected to improve digital and technology service delivery while strengthening practical training opportunities in renewable energy.

Professor Kida also commended the inclusion of a training programme for women in STEM alongside the project, assuring that the university was committed to safeguarding the facilities to maximise their long-term benefits.