Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has expressed its commitment to collaborating with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to ensure a continuous supply of electricity to universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
During a courtesy visit to TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, by Salihijo Ahmad, the Managing Director of REA, in Abuja on Tuesday, Echono emphasized the vital importance of a reliable power supply in tertiary institutions. He commended REA’s Energizing Education Programme (EEP), which has been implemented in select universities and teaching hospitals across the country.
Echono stated, “There is sheer acceptance that this is important for us as we move to improve not just the physical infrastructure but also ICT infrastructure and research infrastructure in our institutions. A lot of these require a constant supply of power. There are certain samples you must put at certain temperatures for a prolonged period. There are certain operations you do in medical laboratories that you cannot afford power to cease even for a second. And, if we really want to guarantee a learning environment that can compete with others across the globe, one of the primary things we can do is to guarantee power in our campuses.”
The head of TETFund also urged REA to address challenges faced by some of the beneficiary institutions of the EEP. He further mentioned that TETFund is exploring the possibility of securing longer-term financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) for future iterations of the scheme, as it would offer more financial flexibility. Echono remarked, “You can get long-term finance at an affordable interest rate, and it will enable us to do more.”
Meanwhile, Salihijo Ahmad noted that the EEP, aimed at providing sustainable and clean power supply to 37 federal universities and seven university teaching hospitals across the country, has already commenced in 24 universities and select teaching hospitals.