Nigeria's universities are facing a major challenge in the form of high energy tariffs, with many of them spending millions of naira each month to keep the lights on.
This has led experts in the industry to call for universities to generate their own power rather than rely on the national grid.
According to reports, first-generation universities in Nigeria pay between N250 million and N300 million for electricity every month. This is a significant drain on their resources, and many struggle to keep up with energy costs.
Experts argue that universities should look inward to find solutions to their power needs. After all, they have engineering and water resources faculties which should be able to provide the necessary expertise to generate power for use on campuses.
They say it is high time universities stopped crying over high electricity tariffs and took action to become more self-sufficient.
And doing so will not only save them money but make them more environmentally friendly.
The experts argue that the status quo is unsustainable, and that universities must act fast to find a solution to high power tariffs.
The government can also support universities in generating their own power by providing funding and other resources.
With the right investment and expertise, they can become more self-sufficient and reduce their reliance on the national grid.
The monthly electricity bill of the University of Ilorin has jumped from N70m to N230m, LEADERSHIP has gathered.
Consequently, University of Ilorin's management is taking new measures to reduce its spending on power.
LEADERSHIP gathered that before the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) introduced new tariffs, the university was paying N70m on electricity monthly.
The vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), who expressed concern at the hike in electricity tariffs imposed by IBEDC, said the alternative power solutions being sought by the institution are expected to yield positive results soon. He described the present electricity bill as "unsustainable" and stressed the urgent need for a critical reassessment of current electricity usage practices.
He appealed to staff and students to adopt more responsible electricity consumption habits in support of the administration's efforts to implement cost-saving measures.
He said he had directed that all new buildings under construction in the Faculties of Agriculture, Arts, Environmental Science, Law, and Social Sciences will include provisions for alternative power sources as part of their design.
He added that strategies are being developed to ensure all faculties and units have reliable alternative power options.
Meanwhile, the managing director of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA), Engr Adeniyi Aremu, has stressed the need for universities to explore low-cost energy harvesting technologies to reduce their spending on electricity supply.
Aremu was a lecturer at the Engineering Department of the University of Ilorin before he was appointed the managing director of LNRBDA.
He said, "The surest way for universities to invest in low-cost energy harvesting or energy scavenging technologies is to tap existing energy sources within the campuses.
"In this regard, Faculties of Engineering and Technology should study and design smart power plants which utilise renewable energy sources to generate electricity.
"However, it should be a phased singular or hybrid approach using solar, hydropower, biomass, wind, solid wastes or other non-conventional sources," he said.
At the University of Port Harcourt, the management pays over N50 million on electricity bills monthly.
The spokesman of the University, Dr. Sam Kpenu, who disclosed this to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, said plans are underway for the building of a solar energy facility in the institution.
Kpenu said, "We pay no less than N50 million monthly on electricity bills. Plans are underway to build a solar energy village to end dependence on public power.
"Fortunately, Uniport is a beneficiary of an independent power project in the South-South, funded by the federal government under a public-private partnership (PPP). Groundbreaking exercise has since commenced, and work is ongoing at the site."
Efforts to get the Head of Corporate Communications, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Olubukola Ilevbare, were unsuccessful as she neither picked up nor returned her calls.
A PHEDC official who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that only the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has the power to increase or reduce electricity tariffs.
In Enugu, sources at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disclosed that the university paid the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) a monthly electricity bill of between N80 and N100 million during the old regime.
The source added that the university was yet to work out the real monthly bill in the new electricity regime but stated that the university would be paying over N150 million monthly in the new regime.
It was further gathered that the university, through its engineering department, had commenced moves to generate its own power.
The immediate past vice chancellor of UNN, Professor Charles Igwe had on several occasions lamented the huge monthly electricity bill brought to the institution.
Igwe had challenged the engineering department to provide alternative power, a development that made the department commence the move.
When contacted, EEDC's public relations officer, Emeka Eze, said, " How? I don't understand what you mean. It's not EEDC that sets/approves the tariff, but NERC."
A robotic engineer, Mark Ndukwe, commended the UNN engineering department for commencing moves to generate its power and urged other universities to follow suit, noting that they have the expertise to generate power for themselves and their host communities.
The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has lamented that its monthly electricity bill had surged from about N30 million in April to about N55 million at the end of June this year, making it difficult for the university to pay Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) the bill in full.
LEADERSHIP gathered that about a week ago, the acting vice chancellor of the university, Professor Sani Kunya, visited the head office of JED in Jos to seek a reduction in the university's monthly electricity bill.
Speaking to our correspondent, the Director of Public Relations of the university, Zailani Bappa, said with its current funding challenges, the university cannot afford to be paying JED about N55 million every month.
He lamented that alternative energy sources are also costly, calling on the federal government and other non-governmental organisations to support the university to fully develop its pilot solar energy power plant at the university's main campus in Gubi.
"We have a solar power plant here at the main campus of the university, but it only generates about .5 megawatts, and this is not sufficient to meet the power consumption need of the Gubi campus, let alone the Yelwa campus.
"We have laboratories and computer studios that demand a huge supply of electricity to operate for practical sessions in teaching university students.
"With adequate funding from the government coupled with support from other relevant non-governmental organisations, the university has the requisite resources needed to develop a self-sustaining solar power plant, " Bappa explained.
The director said that with the availability of solar facility, ATBU has the potential to develop a mini plant that would allow it to meet its power demands and supply power to nearby communities.
Ahmad Tijjani, a Bauchi-based energy expert, said that for ATBU to establish a mini power plant and reduce dependence on Distribution Companies (DisCos), the management should first leverage the expertise and infrastructure available within the university's Mechanical, Electrical, and Water Engineering departments.
"Solar power, given Bauchi's high solar insolation and hydropower, utilising nearby water resources could be ideal options.
"The Mechanical Engineering department can contribute significantly by designing and optimising the mechanical components of the power plant. This includes the development of efficient solar panel mounts, tracking systems to maximise solar energy capture, and hydro turbines for the hydropower component. They can also be responsible for the thermal management systems, ensuring that all mechanical parts operate efficiently and within safe temperatures.
"Moreover, collaboration with students and the faculty on these projects can provide valuable hands-on experience and innovative solutions.
"The Electrical Engineering department should focus on the electrical aspects, such as designing the power distribution network, integrating renewable energy sources with the existing grid, and implementing smart grid technologies for efficient energy management.
"They can develop control systems to ensure the smooth operation and synchronisation of different energy sources, as well as inverters and transformers to manage power conversion and distribution," he said.
Tijjani further stated that by combining these interdisciplinary resources, ATBU can create a reliable and sustainable power solution, significantly reducing energy costs and providing a model for other institutions.
As the nation grapples with consistent downtime with the national grid collapsing and the humongous charges on the diverse bands of electricity tariffs provided by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), there is a huge cry for an alternative source for tertiary institutions to be fully effective and functional to compete with their peers locally and internationally.
Efforts to get a comprehensive report of how much is spent monthly on electricity at the University of Lagos were not successful. At the time of filing this report, the Director of Communication, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, requested for some time to get a comprehensive report from management.
However, a source in the institution noted that "the school used to pay N130 million on electricity bills. And presently, the institution has been moved to Band A of the current tariff regime, which means that the school is now expected to pay over N300 million, which is not sustainable for the federal university.".
It was also disclosed that UNILAG had plans to generate its own electricity as the departments of electrical and electronic engineering had moved to bulid alternative sources of energy, but the commercial aspect of generating enough megawatts was not yet being processed as there were bottlenecks as the institution moved towards sustainability.
Also the capital intensive nature of generating electricity is hampering this notion as the institution is grappling with a lot of bills and expenses on other areas of the school.
In an interview with the CEO of Temabid Energy Solutions Ltd, Engr. Lekan Johnson, he buttressed that constant electricity can be attainable in institutions by generating power using the resources available within Nigerian universities, particularly through the expertise of their electrical, mechanical, and water resources faculties, which can be a sustainable solution in addressing power outages and improving energy self-sufficiency on campus.
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He stated, "I was aware years back that there was a federal project that includes the provision of an independent power plant, upgrading existing distribution infrastructure, lighting up the environment to improve security within campuses, and a development of a world-class training centre on renewable energy for each university, some have implemented and have started generating power but most institutions are lagging."
According to him, "Nigerian universities can play a significant role in addressing power outages, promoting sustainability, and fostering innovation in renewable energy generation that can be exported to neighbouring countries.
"This can be attained through collaborative efforts, research initiatives, and practical applications, as our universities can serve as models for sustainable energy practices and contribute to the transition towards a greener and more resilient energy infrastructure in Nigeria."
He pointed out that the significance of the availability of a consistent power supply cannot be downplayed, as it will foster productivity, efficiency, and professionalism in research, teaching, and learning, which will have a remarkable impact on the quality of graduates from these prestigious institutions.
Engr. Johnson posits that just as solar power is gaining momentum, wind power generation has yet to be fully tapped in the Nigerian society.
This, he asserts, universities can explore, as they can propagate the evolution of a sustainable, clean power source.
"For the faculty, there should be a collaboration across all boards and institutions to tackle the power outage issue; it is a national problem that must be given prominence.
"Mechanical engineering faculty can lead projects to design and install wind turbines on campus grounds to harness wind energy for power generation. This type of collaboration with those in electrical engineering can lead to developing grid-connected or off-grid wind power systems" he averred.
Similarly, he remarked that the faculties must conduct wind resource assessments and feasibility studies to identify suitable locations for wind turbine installations on their various campuses.
"As a matter of urgency, Water resources faculties can explore the potential for hydroelectric power generation using existing water bodies or streams on campuses through a research-based approach between the electrical and mechanical engineering faculties to design and implement small-scale hydroelectric systems."
