The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) recent decision to drastically increase electricity tariffs for consumers has sent shockwaves across the nation, sparking a firestorm of outrage and condemnation.
The astonishing 240% hike, which catapults the cost per kilowatt-hour from ₦68 to N225 for customers enjoying a meager 20 hours of power supply daily, is not only a slap in the face of already beleaguered Nigerians but also a brazen display of insensitivity and poor governance.
Nigeria’s energy crisis is no secret. The country’s actual transmitted power of between 4,000MW to 4,500MW for an estimated 200 million population pales in comparison to other nations like Brazil and South Africa, which generate 100,000MW and 40,000MW respectively.
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The consequences of this energy deficit are far-reaching, affecting every facet of Nigerian society and subjecting the economy’s productive sector to grinding hardship.
Universities, the bastions of knowledge and innovation, are particularly hard hit. The tariff hike has become a barrier to effective research, student learning, and the smooth running of the tertiary education sector.
First-generation universities are paying between N250 million and N300 million for electricity every month, a significant drain on their lean resources. The University of Ilorin’s monthly electricity bill has jumped from N70m to N230m, while the University of Port Harcourt pays over N50 million monthly.
Meanwhile, The University of Benin has been thrust into chaos as the management indefinitely shut down academic activities in response to students’ unwavering demands for a 24-hour electricity supply. The students, fed up with the meager one-hour power ration, took to the streets to voice their discontent, prompting the drastic measure.
Ironically, this crisis echoes the federal government’s 2020 promise to revolutionize the education sector through the Energising Education Programme (EEP). The initiative aimed to provide sustainable, clean power to 37 federal universities and seven university teaching hospitals nationwide. The project’s lofty goals included independent power plants, upgraded distribution infrastructure, enhanced street lighting for security, and world-class renewable energy training centers.
Yet, two years later, UNIBEN students are still grappling with paltry power supply, forcing them to take drastic action. The shutdown has left the academic community reeling, with students and staff uncertain about the future. As the standoff continues, one question lingers: Will the government revive its EEP promise and illuminate the path to knowledge for UNIBEN students? Only time will tell.
Two years ago, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) embarked on an ambitious project to illuminate Nigerian universities. The first phase of the “Operation Light Up Nigerian Universities” programme aimed to deliver 28.5MW of power to nine federal universities and one University Teaching Hospital, including Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bayero University, Kano, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurum, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Obafemi Awolowo University and Teaching Hospital, Osun, University of Lagos, Lagos, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
But today, the reality is far from the promise. While some universities have seen the light, others are still languishing in darkness.
The project’s slow pace has left many institutions reliant on generating sets to power their libraries and laboratories, exacting a huge cost on their meager resources and posing hazards from harmful emissions.
It’s time for universities to think outside the box and find a lasting solution to this big-budget drain. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all. As we shine a light on this issue, we call on the REA and the federal government to revitalize this project and bring power to our universities.
It’s time to illuminate the path to knowledge and empower our institutions of higher learning.
The future of our nation depends on it. From FUAM to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bayero University to Alex Ekwueme Federal University, and from Federal University of Petroleum Resources to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Obafemi Awolowo University and Teaching Hospital, University of Lagos, and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, we demand action now.
We firmly believe that universities must take charge of their power needs by generating their own electricity, rather than relying on the national grid. This is the way to solve the perennial problem of power outages that has plagued our institutions of higher learning for far too long.
Experts agree that universities must explore low-cost energy harvesting technologies to reduce their spending on electricity supply. As centers of research and learning, universities have the expertise and resources to generate their own power.
Their electrical, mechanical, and water resources faculties can harness available resources to provide constant electricity, ensuring a sustainable solution to power outages and improving campus energy self-sufficiency.
Some private institutions, such as Covenant and Birmingham Universities, are already generating their own power needs and even extending excess power to their host communities. This is a shining example of what can be achieved when universities take matters into their own hands.
We draw inspiration from Stanford University in California, which played a significant role in fostering Silicon Valley in the United States. This model can be replicated in Nigeria, especially in our first-generation institutions. It’s not rocket science; our universities have the potential to become hubs of innovation and energy self-sufficiency.
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This is unsustainable and unacceptable. Nigerian universities are the engines of growth, and starving them of resources is a recipe for disaster. The government must rethink this ill-advised hike and find a solution that doesn’t leave consumers in the dark. The future of Nigeria depends on it.
We urge the government to reconsider the tariff hike and work towards finding a lasting solution to Nigeria’s energy crisis. Our universities and economy depend on it.
