Nigeria’s Federal Government has successfully powered 24 federal tertiary institutions with solar energy in a major step toward sustainable development and educational reform.
The project, part of the Energising Education Programme (EEP) under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aims to provide uninterrupted, clean energy to learning institutions across the country.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Wednesday during a signing ceremony with Vice Chancellors of the beneficiary universities in Abuja. He also confirmed that eight additional institutions have signed on for the next phase of the initiative.
“This project marks a new day for Nigeria. It brings 24-hour electricity to our institutions, powers laboratories and libraries, and creates better living and learning conditions for students and staff.”
One of the standout examples is the University of Abuja, now renamed Yakubu Gowon University, which operates a solar farm with 6,000 photovoltaic panels generating 3.3 megawatts of electricity daily, enough to power the campus around the clock.
According to the Minister, the benefits go beyond academics. “Any campus is a community by itself. With constant power, you unleash economic activity, from small businesses to innovation labs,” he said.
The project is funded by the Renewable Infrastructure Fund, part of President Tinubu’s broader commitment to infrastructure and climate resilience. The government has set a target: by 2027, all federal tertiary institutions will operate on renewable energy.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, revealed that the first three phases of the project have already benefited more than 600,000 students and 50,000 academic staff, generating over 100 megawatts of electricity across federal campuses and teaching hospitals.
Aliyu noted that Phase 3, which includes eight more universities and one teaching hospital, is nearly complete and will be commissioned in the coming months.
New Beneficiary Institutions Include: Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Federal University, Wukari (Taraba State), Federal University Dutse, University of Benin, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, University of Lagos. The EEP also extends to healthcare, with clean energy delivered to two teaching hospitals and two universities through the Universal Public Health Project.
As Nigeria pushes to bridge the digital and energy gap for youth and education, this project marks a bold step toward cleaner, smarter, and more inclusive national development.
