The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is rolling out two transformative initiatives to tackle the twin challenges of energy insecurity and food insufficiency in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Following months of nationwide energy audits, a high-powered committee convened by TETFund has recommended hybrid solar photovoltaic systems integrated with battery storage, grid connections, and gas-powered backup as the most sustainable and cost-effective solution for tertiary campuses.
“Diesel generators are no longer sustainable. We must pivot to resilient, cleaner energy models tailored to each region’s resources,” said Hon. Sonday Adepoju, Chair of the Steering Committee on Alternative Energy Solutions, while presenting the report Monday in Abuja.
The committee’s assessment, carried out with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), covered institutions nationwide. Site visits to successful installations at institutions like the University of Abuja and Lagos State University informed the strategy. Ten pilot institutions have now been selected for the implementation phase, including LASU, UNILAG, Ambrose Alli University, and Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.
In a separatedevelopment, TETFund has inaugurated a new five-member Agricultural Commercial Farms Evaluation Committee to select ten universities for its mechanised agriculture and livestock development programme under the 2025 intervention.
“Tertiary institutions with strong agricultural faculties, at least 50 hectares of unencumbered land, and existing value-chain activity are eligible,” said Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, TETFund Board Chairman, who inaugurated the team.
Masari emphasized agriculture’s centrality to Nigeria’s development. “We must return agriculture to its place of pride through mechanisation, precision farming, and applied research,” he declared.
The evaluation committee, chaired by Mr. Ewara E. Bassey of the Ministry of Agriculture, will screen institutions and recommend beneficiaries within two weeks.
Executive Secretary Arc. Sonny Echono hailed both committees for their diligence and patriotic service. “These initiatives signal our unwavering commitment to innovation and self-reliance in education,” he said.
Gom Marian-Report
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