By Francis Ogwo
About 30 percent of Nigeria’s electricity supply will be gotten from renewable energy by 2030.
This was announced by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday in a message delivered virtually during the commissioning of a 1.12MW Captive Solar Hybrid Power Plant at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
Reports say the project seeks to conform with the globally endorsed Climate Change Agenda and the government’s effort to connect more communities to offgrid power and reliable energy sources.
The project which is executed under the Energizing Education Programme (EEP), an initiative of the Federal Government, is aimed at providing 37 federal universities and seven teaching hospitals with captive energy solutions that will ensure sustainable and reliable power for students and faculty.
Osinbajo said: “Renewables are the fastest growing segment of energy today and will certainly be a key economic driver well into the future.
“Indeed, Nigeria intends to have 30% of its electricity supply from renewables by the year 2030. Our future workforce, therefore, needs to be ready for this energy transition. The training centres constitute a critical additional benefit of this project.”
The Vice President stressed that the programme reaffirms the government’s commitment to meeting global best practices in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
“These projects being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) are strategic to fulfilling our commitments to the agreement as they strive to reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint.
“The leveraging of renewable energy technology is in line with the Federal Government’s mandate and related activities. Nigeria’s plan to reduce carbon emission by 20% unconditionally and 45% with international support by 2030, aims to limit the damaging effect of climate change,” he said.
The VP also spoke on the benefits of the EEP.
“Already, 22,000 students and faculties across the country are connected to completed projects in Kano, Ebonyi, Benue and of course, now in Bauchi.
“But apart from providing a reliable source of captive power for these institutions, each institution will have a renewable energy workshop and a training centre to provide training for students on renewable energy.
“The project also entails the installation of street lights and the electro fitting of existing ones for better illumination and provision of security on the campus and its environs.
“And there is provision for on-the-job training for 20 female students undergoing STEM courses in the beneficiary institutions. The training focuses on the design and installation of various components of the project,” he added.
Recall that the Federal Government, under the EEP, has inaugurated three solar off-grid hybrid power plants in three universities located in Kano, Ebonyi and Benue states.
In August 2019, through the REA, the Federal Government completed and inaugurated the first plant under the EEP, a 2.8MW first solar hybrid power plant at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) in Ebonyi State.
