Osinbajo Commissions Solar Hybrid Project at Alex Ekwueme Varsity

The Vice -President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo recently commissioned a 2.8 megawatt installed capacity solar hybrid power project, under the Federal Government’s Energising Education Programme (EEP), at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State

The Vice-President said the EEP was a project aimed to provide conducive learning environment in Nigeria universities in the next four years adding that the project would provide sustained decentralised energy to the entire campus, improve education  create a better university experience for both staff and students.

He explained that the project would serve 7,700 students and 1,819 staff at FUNAI and help them access clean reliable energy from the University’s 2.8MW Solar hybrid power plant as well as improved quality of Research work in the University.

“Our young people are willing to learn and they have great aspirations. It is our duty to aid them to accomplish their goals by providing a conducive learning environment for them. I am glad to be part of this great feat,” he said

Professor Osinbajo then charged Nigerians to embrace the emerging renewable off-grid energy sector saying it was poised to generate significant impact for the Nigeria market, as well as the un-served, underserved communities and higher institutions of learning.

He stated that with the growing solar generation, there was need for more private sector participation in collaboration with the federal government.

In her speech, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Odusote Abimbola noted that the EEP project signified the commitment of the federal government to protecting the environment and reversing the harmful effects of climate change, which was already having devastating effects on the environment.

This achievement, Odusote said was because government agencies worked by collaborating toward a shared goal of mainstreaming renewable clean energy.

The Chief Executive Officer, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi in her remarks stated that in fulfilment of one of the card objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations on gender equality, the project was designed in such a way that women played key roles in its implementation.

The EEP is a federal government initiative under the Rural Electrification Agency aimed at providing an off-grid captive power that was said to be reliable and sustainable across 37 Federal Universities and seven Federal Teaching Hospitals. In addition, the EEP was meant to provide street lighting for illumination and safety as well as serve workshop/training centres for each of the EEP beneficiary institutions. The Phase one of the EEP cut across nine Federal Universities and one Teaching Hospital located across the six geopolitical zones of the country. The phase one was fully funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and will train 180 Female STEM students.