Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, on Wednesday said some electricity consumers had asked him to “slow down” with ongoing improvements in power supply, joking that their freezers were now working continuously.
Tegbe disclosed this in Abuja at the commissioning of the 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
According to the minister, consumers in some parts of the country had begun experiencing significant improvements in electricity supply following recent interventions by the Federal Government.
“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours of light.
Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing.
“That is what a freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen,” Tegbe said.
The minister recalled that he had promised during his Senate screening that Nigerians would begin to notice improvements in electricity supply within three to six months.
He, however, acknowledged the age and condition of the nation’s electricity infrastructure, noting that some facilities in the sector were more than 40 years old.
“Some of the infrastructure we have in the electricity and power sector is more than 40 years old. We’re systematically replacing them, phasing them out and bringing new ones,” he said.
Tegbe also raised concerns over the continued vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure, disclosing that three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi had been brought down by vandals.
He said the affected towers were part of infrastructure supplying electricity to Kebbi State and extending to Niger Republic.
According to him, the vandals attacked the foundations of the towers before bringing them down and cutting sections of the structures for sale in the scrap market.
“You will not believe how many towers get pulled down by vandals,” he said.
Tegbe said the Federal Government had consequently established a joint working committee involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to monitor and protect national electricity assets.
He added that the government was working to ensure that vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure was treated as a serious criminal offence.
On the Yakubu Gowon University solar project, Tegbe said the facility combines a 3.3-megawatt solar array with 3MW AC output capacity and battery storage to provide reliable electricity to critical university facilities.
He said the project would power lecture halls, laboratories, ICT facilities, administrative buildings, campus lighting and other essential services.
Tegbe said more than 58,726 students were expected to benefit from the project, which has 6,078 photovoltaic panels and 388 streetlights installed across the university.
He added that the project created 3,201 jobs during implementation.
According to him, the battery storage system could be expanded to enable the project to supply additional parts of the university, including student hostels.
The minister said the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) would work with the university to address areas of the campus that still required improved lighting.
He also urged the university to use the facility as a platform for research into renewable energy, battery storage, smart metering, energy management, grid integration, cybersecurity and other emerging areas of energy technology.
The Managing Director of the REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the project as a significant milestone under the Energising Education Programme.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, said dependable electricity was critical to the institution’s academic mission.
Fawehinmi said a modern university could not effectively teach, conduct research, operate laboratories or sustain digital services without reliable electricity.
