FG to install N100bn solar mini-grids in public tertiary institutions, teaching hospitals

Abba Aliyu, managing director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), says the federal government has allocated N100 billion in the 2025 budget to deploy solar mini-grids across public institutions.

Speaking in an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, Aliyu said the initiative, which is awaiting approval from the national assembly, aims to provide reliable, cost-effective, and climate-friendly power to selected federal universities and teaching hospitals.

Aliyu said the funding falls under the national public sector solarisation initiative of the ministry of power, following an analysis of the high costs incurred by public institutions on diesel and generator procurement.

The solar mini-grids will be deployed to institutions including the University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria (NSUKKA), and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).

“It is a new concept designed to reduce the cost of governance. N100 billion has been allocated for it. We are going to use that funding to solarise public institutions”, he said.

“The funding is being provided for us to solarise the institutions. In the next six months, I will tell you that I have started the process of deploying mini-grids in an additional five universities.

“I have completed at least two of the eight mini-grids that I am deploying in eight universities and one teaching hospital, and I have started solarising the public sector.

“We are looking at key government parastatals in and outside Abuja. The University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH) is part of the five that we are looking at starting. We are also looking at starting at UNILAG.”

Aliyu said within the next six months, his agency plans to commission at least 60 mini-grids and initiate the deployment of 40 interconnect grids to enhance reliability.

He also noted that the REA has already completed interventions in several universities and teaching hospitals across the country.

“We recently completed intervention in seven universities and two teaching hospitals where we provided them with hybrid mini-grid that will provide them with 24-hour reliable cost-effective electricity,” the minister added.

“An example is the University of Maiduguri where we deployed 12 megawatts-capacity powering the university and its teaching hospital. This has the potential to even power the only water treatment plant within the Maiduguri metropolitan.

“We have now started a new line of eight universities and one teaching hospital. The commissioning of the new phase will start as early as April this year.”