The federal government has approved contracts worth N68.7 billion for two major power initiatives. These initiatives aim to provide reliable electricity to universities, teaching hospitals, and rural businesses as part of its push to transform Nigeria’s power sector.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced the approvals on Thursday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
Adelabu said the projects reflected the administration’s determination to overhaul the power sector and deliver stable electricity to critical sectors of national life.
“This administration is bent on ensuring the transformation in our power sector and improving the supply of power to two key sectors for national existence,” Adelabu stated.
He explained that the first approval covered the award of contracts for engineering, procurement, and construction services for the Energising Education Programme under the Special Intervention Fund for Infrastructure Development through the Rural Electrification Agency.
Adelabu said the initiative aimed to “ relieve our educational institutions and teaching hospitals of the burden of huge energy costs” while providing them with “reliable and good-quality electricity.”
According to him, the absence of reliable power has created “a crisis level” in some universities and hospitals, with institutions unable to afford the electricity available in their localities. This, he noted, had at times led to blackouts and even industrial actions.
Adelabu recalled that similar renewable energy projects had been completed for some universities with World Bank support, adding that the new funding “is to complement the World Bank financing to accelerate deployment across other institutions in the country.”
He cited examples of completed projects, including the University of Abuja, where solar power has been installed and is “now operating effectively,” and the University of Niger, which has a 12-megawatt installation serving both the university and iedts teaching hospital.
He further listed Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, where about eight megawatts have been installed, the Nigerian Defence Academy, which has a 2.6-megawatt solar power system, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, among others.
Adelabu said the fresh FEC approval would cover eight additional universities and their teaching hospitals: University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State , University of Ibadan, including University College Hospital, University of Calabar and Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State.
He said implementation is expected to take between seven and nine months.
“This is another case of ensuring that universities enjoy uninterrupted electricity,” Adelabu stressed. “Our universities will never be the same again.”
According to the minister, the second approval involves contracts for the procurement of renewable energy infrastructure for the Rural Electrification Agency’s Agricultural Centres of Excellence Projects.
Adelabu said this intervention will extend power sector transformation to rural communities, particularly those without access to a reliable grid supply.
“This is not limited to just lighting up the households,” he explained. “It also includes ensuring productive use of equipment powered by solar sources. The intention is to light up our rural households and power our rural businesses, especially those processing agricultural produce.”
The minister said the project will deliver solar-powered processing equipment for small and medium enterprises in rural areas, supporting “cluster processing of agricultural produce and productive use, especially by micro and small enterprises.”
According to Adelabu, the total value of the approved contracts is N68.7 billion, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT, and the delivery timeline for the rural power projects is three months.
“This government is empowering rural communities to enjoy good livelihoods in their homes and also to put their effort into productivity to improve their prosperity,” Adelabu said.
