… Tegbe says facility will also help tackle electricity asset vandalism
The Federal Government is set to establish a national call centre where electricity consumers across Nigeria can lodge complaints about power outages and other disruptions and have them addressed promptly.
Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Wednesday at the commissioning of a 3-megawatt hybrid mini-grid project and Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
Tegbe said the proposed call centre would provide a central platform for consumers to report electricity-related complaints and would also create job opportunities for young Nigerians.
“My office is working on a call centre where electricity complaints across the country can be lodged and resolved. This initiative will provide sustainable job opportunities for our youth nationwide,” he said.
The minister added that the government planned to establish a dedicated channel for reporting vandalism of critical electricity infrastructure to enable security agencies to respond quickly.
“In addition, we plan to provide a dedicated channel where vandalism of critical assets can be reported for immediate action and remediation,” he said.
Tegbe disclosed that the government was working with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to curb vandalism of electricity infrastructure nationwide.
He also urged students and members of the university community to protect the newly commissioned solar facility and other electricity assets.
“The promise of this investment now places a responsibility on all of us to preserve it. I expect the student community to support our ongoing efforts to stem the tide of vandalism,” he said.
He urged the students to report vandalism involving transformers, transmission towers and other electricity infrastructure whenever they encountered such acts.
The 3MW hybrid mini-grid project was delivered under Phase Two of the Energising Education Programme (EEP), which covers seven universities and two teaching hospitals.
At Yakubu Gowon University, the installation comprises a 3.3MWp solar array with 3MW AC output capacity and 2MWh battery storage designed to support critical loads after daylight hours.
It also has a dedicated grid connection for non-critical electricity demand outside the solar generation period.
According to Tegbe, the project is expected to benefit 58,726 students, while 388 streetlights installed under the scheme will improve illumination and security within the campus.
He said reliable electricity would strengthen research and academic activities, reduce dependence on diesel generators and ease pressure on the university’s finances.
The minister linked the project to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying investments in electricity were being directed towards institutions and productive activities capable of improving citizens’ lives.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, said the value of the EEP went beyond the megawatts generated, noting its impact on laboratories, institutional finances and safer learning environments.
Aliyu said sustainability remained critical to the success of renewable energy projects, explaining that the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO) had been established to manage, monitor, maintain and optimise renewable energy assets.
“The ultimate value of this project will depend not only on what we have installed, but on how well it is sustained,” he said.
He also disclosed that the REA had established a Renewable Energy Workshop and Training Centre to develop local technical capacity.
Aliyu challenged the university to turn the facility into a research hub for distributed energy resources by introducing relevant academic programmes, encouraging innovation and developing new technologies.
He disclosed that the Energising Education Programme had so far delivered more than 100MW of power to 22 federal institutions and university teaching hospitals.
The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Prof. Akinwunmi Fawehinmi, said reliable electricity was essential for effective teaching, research and a conducive learning environment.
He commended the Federal Government’s intervention and pledged that the university would ensure the facility was properly utilised and maintained.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, also commended the project, describing it as important to improving the quality of education in the country.
Abaribe welcomed the establishment of RAMCO, stressing that proper maintenance and sustainability were necessary to ensure that public investments continued to benefit Nigerians long after commissioning.
