Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has contracted five renewable energy companies to build solar hybrid power plants in seven federal universities and two teaching hospitals under the energizing education programme (EEP).
A statement by the agency, seen by Nairametrics, explained that the project would cost $105 million and is being supported by the World Bank.
The renewable energy companies are Em-One Energy Solutions (JV), Znshine PV-Tech Co. Ltd, Dongfang Electric International Corporation (DEC), DEC & Mutual Commitment Company Ltd (DEC-MCC), and Eauxwell Nigeria Ltd & Greencells GMBH.
They will engineer, procure and construct power plants and provide streetlights within the universities. In addition, they will rehabilitate existing distribution infrastructure within the universities and oversee the operation and maintenance of the power plants for one year, among other things.
What the agency said
According to the REA, the federal universities that are set to benefit from the EEP are:
- Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun state;
- Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state;
- University of Calabar, Cross River state;
- University of Maiduguri, Borno state;
- University of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory;
- Federal University, Gashua, Yobe state
- Nigerian Defense Academy, Kaduna state.
Part of the statement by the REA said: “Today, the Agency moved deeper into the implementation of the second phase of the federal government’s energizing education programme (EEP), with funding from the World Bank under the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP).
“While the EEP phase 1 was implemented in 9 universities and 2 university teaching hospitals (with 7 now fully completed), the EEP phase 2 will equally deliver on the deployment of solar hybrid power plants in 7 additional federal universities and 2 associated teaching hospitals.
“This contract signing is one of the ways we strive to promote Public-Private Partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Private Sector companies and it will also count towards the realization of Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Sustainability Plan.”
What you should know
The EEP is an initiative of the Federal Government to provide a clean, reliable, and sustainable power supply to 37 federal universities and seven teaching hospitals. the funding for the project was fully secured for the 1st Phase through the Green Bond.
- Phase 1 of the EEP benefitted 127,000 students and 28,000 staff of universities, 4,700 staff in teaching hospitals (including 819 doctors), and powered 2,850 streetlights.
- In addition to the solar hybrid power plants, the EEP Phase 2 will also provide a platform where twenty female Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students from each of the seven beneficiary institutions will gain hands-on practical training and experience in the design and construction of power systems.
- 89.6MW is the targeted estimated total capacity in 37 federal universities & 7 teaching hospitals under the EEP.
- The energizing education programme is one of the components of the NEP, which is funded by both the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) with a total of US$550million.
