President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated a 2.0 megawatts Solar Power Plant at Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS), to enhance power supply and training in the institution.
Represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, President Buhari said the project tagged, ‘Energizing Education Programme’ (EEP), was conceptualised to power Federal Universities and University Teaching Hospitals in the country.
President Buhari highlighted that, “UDUS is not only one of the beneficiary universities under the first phase of the Federal Government’s Energizing Education Programme, it is equally an institution that has historically churned out great men and women.
”This marks another historical moment to the delight of the Rural Electrification Agency in fulfilment of our strategic drive using modern technology to address the issue of climate change so as to reduce by 20% the carbon emissions in order to limit the harmful effect of same to the environment and society.
“We all know that electricity is central to everything we do as a society. This will no doubt enable a safe and conducive learning environment on our universities campuses, communities, security and as well, improve quality of healthcare services.”
The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said UDUS is the 8th University to be energised under the Phase 1 of the EEP designed to be furnished with 8.65km-stretch solar-powered streetlights, a functional workshop and training centre expected to train 20 female Interns through the EEP STEM programme.
The Minister reiterated that, “this project is designed to sufficiently serve the students and staff members of this institution with clean, safe and reliable energy as EEP is one of many policy interventions of the Federal Government through the Ministry, aimed at closing the energy access gap in learning institutions.
”The Federal Ministry of Power has focused on nurturing this emerging off-grid sector with the right policy initiatives as a demonstration of government commitment to the implementation of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) goals and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
“It is basically aimed at reducing Green House Gases (GHGs) by 20% (conditionally) and 47% unconditionally) in accordance with Paris Accord on Climate Change,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ahmad Salihijo, reiterated that EEP was one of many policy interventions of the Federal Government aimed at closing the energy access gap in learning institutions and thr phase 2 had been flagged off.
Expressing his delight, the REA boss disclosed that, “as we rounded up all projects under the Phase One of this programme, I am happy to inform you that we already kicked off the Second Phase, with funding from the World Bank under the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP).
“We appreciate the team of engineers at METKA, for diligently working with the technical team at the REA and playing a key part in instilling in our female STEM interns quality, on-the-field knowledge.”
Prior to the commissioning of EEP in UDUS, the MD had inspected COVID-19 Intervention Isolation and Treatment Centres under the Nigerian Electrification Project with support from the World Bank at Sir Yahya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State.
Other projects in Kebbi State included Federal Medical Center’s 50KWp isolation centers as well as the solar Minigrid at Kalgo primary healthcare center.
