Energy access, education critical to economic growth — Adelabu

Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has described energy access and education as two critical pillars of societal development that drive economic growth and development and which he said has increasingly become evident in today’s world.

The Minister stated this at a three-day 2024 Energizing Education Programme (EEP) Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum (SEF) organised by the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP) which was held on Friday in Abuja.

The high-level event brought together key stakeholders including Vice Chancellors, Chief Medical Directors, Directors of Physical Planning/Works, and Legal Officers from EEP beneficiary institutions, along with representatives from the World Bank (WB), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and other partners.

Themed “Empowering Education through Sustainable Energy: Collaborative Pathways for the Long-term Success of the Energizing Education Programme (EEP),” the forum focused on strategies for ensuring that solar hybrid power plants deployed across beneficiary universities remain sustainable, fostering educational advancement and institutional growth.

Represented by Mr Bem Anyangeaor at the event, Adelabu said the symbiotic relationship between energy access and education have clearly shown that the former is a critical enabler of education and cornerstone of progress and development.

According to the minister, studies have consistently demonstrated the profound impact of energy access on educational outcomes adding that access to energy is the catalyst that drives economic growth, improves healthcare and also empowers communities.

He stated that many educational institutions in Nigeria have continued to grapple with the challenges of securing reliable and affordable electricity saying it is what the EEP has come to address.

“Over the past three days, we have engaged in robust discussions and explored the critical intersection of energy access and education. As we navigate the challenges and opportunities of our time, the symbiotic relationship between these two pillars of societal development becomes increasingly evident.

“Energy access is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity that underpins our modern world. It is the catalyst that drives economic growth, improves healthcare, and empowers communities. However, its significance extends far beyond these tangible benefits. Energy access is a critical enabler of education, a cornerstone of progress and development.

“When schools have reliable electricity, they can extend learning hours, utilize educational technology, and create safe and comfortable learning environments. This, in turn, leads to increased enrollment, improved academic performance, and enhanced teacher/student productivity. This is why the EEP was conceptualized to address the issue of electricity access in our educational institutions,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of the EEP across the 37 federal universities and seven affiliated teaching hospitals across the country through the provision of reliable and constant power supply. This was confirmed at the signing of a landmark agreement between the Agency and the universities to ensure EEP sustainability across the campuses.

The Managing Director/ CEO, REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said forum aimed to enhance the sustainability of the power plants deployed to the universities under the Phases covered so far. He said the REA has deployed mini grid in different universities on Phases I, 2 and 3.

Tribune Online reports that under the Phase 1, nine universities and one teaching hospital were captured, a total of seven universities and two teaching hospitals are under Phase 2 while eight universities and one teaching hospitals fall under Phase 3.

“The REA has deployed mini grid in different universities and we deployed it in different phases, Phase I, 2 and 3. What we are signing here is a collaborative agreement that are provided for by the responsibilities of the universities and the responsibility of the REA. And at the same time, the agreement we signed also provide for sustainability plan. If you know one of the challenges with the Renewed Hope Energy Project is that it has a life span. Over a period of time, the batteries and the inverter will expire.

“What we are now doing is to ensure that we are planning with the end in mind. So from the beginning, we are putting in place commercial, technical and operational framework that will ensure that after the deployment of this mini grid, it would continue to operate over a long period of time in the history of the universities that is what we are doing now.

“It is important to note that what we are handling to the universities are hybrid mini grid, world-class training centres and also we have trained 20 STEM students in each of these universities and at the same time provided a framework for the training of 100 more students in all of these universities,” the REA boss told Tribune Online.

In his own submission, the Head, Project Management Unit, REA who also heads the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP), Olufemi Akinyelure, said preliminary works have commenced at the Phase 3 of the project with equipment already being shipped in while expressing hope that they will be commissioned by the first quarter of 2025.

According to the organisers, the program also aimed to expand alternative energy access to underserved and unserved rural communities in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

A key highlight of the forum was the signing of a collaborative agreement between REA-NEP and the beneficiary institutions.

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