The initiative was designed to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in universities and colleges, the high cost of electricity, while boosting research and learning.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has approved the sum of N70 billion for the construction of mini-grid power projects in 18 selected higher institutions across the country.
A member of the TETFund Board, Danladi Abubakar Sani, made this known at a three-day town hall meeting for TETFund beneficiary institutions in the North-East, held in Jalingo, Taraba State.
Sani, who represents the North-East on the Board, said the initiative was designed to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in universities and colleges, the high cost of electricity, while boosting research and learning.
“The Board has approved the Mini Grid Power Project under the 2025 Intervention Cycle, with a ₦70 billion allocation across 18 institutions. This bold step will ensure a stable, cost-effective, and renewable electricity supply to campuses, thereby reducing operational costs and enhancing research and learning,” Sani said.
He added that the Aminu Bello Masari-led Board was determined to build knowledge-driven industries that would stimulate innovation, create jobs and contribute to national economic growth.
Commending President Bola Tinubu for his renewed commitment to the education sector, Sani highlighted that TETFund has executed several projects in the region under the 2025 intervention programme. These include high-impact projects, disaster recovery, security, laboratory and workshop upgrades, and hostel construction.
Sani stressed that Nigerian tertiary institutions must be positioned to compete globally and remain responsive to their host communities.
“The responsibility of shaping the future of Nigerian higher education cannot rest solely on the Fund or government institutions. It requires collaboration and active participation by institutions, industries, communities, and civil society,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of Gombe State University, Prof. Umaru Pate, welcomed the development, noting that TETFund projects account for most of the infrastructure in state-owned institutions. He, however, cautioned against the indiscriminate establishment of new universities without ensuring quality, warning that “expansion without quality is dangerous to the education system.”
Guest speakers at the event, Dr. Isa Mohammed of the Department of Political Science and International Relations and Prof. Solomon Iyekekpolor, Director of Academic Planning, both of Taraba State University, Jalingo, commended the Federal Government and TETFund for the initiative.