Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Prof. Ademola Tayo, has appealed to the government to review the electricity tariff for educational institutions in the country, warning that the current high rates pose a significant threat to quality education.
Prof. Tayo made this appeal at the 22nd undergraduate and 13th postgraduate convocation ceremonies of the institution, held in Remo, Ogun State, where awards of degrees, prizes, and conferment of honorary doctorate degrees were awarded.
Tayo, who is also the President of the institution, mentioned that current inflation has diminished the purchasing power of academia, posing increasingly formidable challenges in supporting standards, especially in light of the significant surge resulting from the reclassification of customers in Band A for electricity tariffs by the authorities and the consequential burden of meeting exorbitant monthly electricity expenses.
According to him, the costs of feeding students and infrastructural maintenance are all affected by inflation, adding that in May alone, Babcock University had to pay over N300 million to IBDC for electricity alone, something not planned for in the budget.
“I want to say at this juncture that we plead with the government to review this electricity tariff for educational institutions in Nigeria because this is a threat to quality education in Nigeria. Investing in education is crucial for Nigeria’s economic growth and development. We need policies that prioritize educational funding and support universities in navigating these economic challenges.”
The VC, determined to make the best of the situation, said the institute is resolute not to lower its standards but rather raise the bar of education.
“Our pledge to our stakeholders: within our limited resources, we shall intensify our efforts to eliminate waste, cut costs, and remove redundancy without compromising standards. All street lights in Babcock University will be powered by solar energy, and we will continue to increase this so that the cost of energy will be drastically reduced,” he said.
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