In a push towards addressing the perennial power challenges in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has inaugurated a committee on alternative power supply to bring sustainable energy to the country’s higher education sector.
The Chairman of TETFund’s Board of Trustees, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari inaugurated the committee on Wednesday in Abuja.
Recall that last year, TETFund disclosed that it is set to create a new intervention line aimed at addressing the pressing issues of security and power in Nigerian tertiary educational institutions.
Masari, who emphasised the urgent need for reliable and cost-effective energy solutions in Nigerian tertiary institutions, noted that increasing energy demand, coupled with rising tariff increments and inefficient supply, has created significant challenges for institutions.
This struggle, according to the chairman, has resulted in disruptions to academic activities and heightened anxiety among students.
“We all know the combination of many factors, most important among which is the increase in tariff of energy coming from distribution companies, which is becoming unbearable for tertiary institutions, coupled with a lot of other issues. So, for that reason, the board has created an intervention line to assist tertiary institutions in meeting the power demand, which is critical for valued research in our institutions.
“The increasing demand for reliable and cost-effective energy solutions has become imperative for institutions to sustain effective operations. With the recent tariff increments in energy charges and the persistent inefficiencies in energy supply, many institutions, particularly tertiary institutions, are struggling to cope with the payment of demand. This has led to disruptions in academic activities and increased anxiety among students.
“The prevailing challenges necessitate the urgent adoption of sustainable alternative energy solutions to address these concerns.
“So, the Fund is embarking on an intervention initiative to provide alternative energy solutions in selected institutions towards addressing the energy demands on a sustainable basis, towards realising the intervention initiative,” he said.
The committee, which has Rt Hon Sunday Adepoju, a member of BOT, as chairman, was given two months to submit the preliminary report. It would also be part of the implementation team.
