TETFund Moves to Improve Power Supply in Tertiary Institutions

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has revealed it is introducing a special intervention to address the issue of incessant power failure in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Chairman, Board of Trustees of TETFund, Hon. Aminu Masari, disclosed this on Wednesday while inaugurating the steering committee on Alternative Energy Solution Initiative in tertiary institutions.

Masari, a former governor of Katsina State, said the initiative was part of the Fund’s commitment to support government’s efforts to have a steady power supply to tertiary institutions across the country.

He stressed the importance of power supply, saying that it was critical to learning and research, which was lacking in most of tertiary institutions.

“We all know the combination of many factors to include the increase in tariff which has become unbearable to these institutions coupled with other issues,” he stated.

According to him, power demand, among other things, was critical to learning and research, preparing the way for the development of the students.

The committee, which has Hon. Sunday Adepoju, a member of TETFund BoT as chairman, was given an initial two months to summit the preliminary report. It will, however, be part of the implementation team.

It would be recalled that the federal government had plans to provide power supply to tertiary institutions through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

The REA aims to provide captive solar hybrid power plants to 15 federal tertiary institutions and two teaching hospitals. This initiative was part of the government’s efforts to increase electricity access to underserved Nigerians.

The lack of power supply has been a significant challenge for tertiary institutions in Nigeria, affecting the learning environment and academic activities.

The provision of a reliable power supply is expected to improve the quality of education and research in these institutions.