No More Free Power – FG Unveils Electricity Tariffs For Universities, Teaching Hospitals

The Federal Government is set to begin charging 25 tertiary institutions and teaching hospitals for electricity generated from its renewable energy projects across the country.

Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Wednesday during the unveiling of the Renewable Asset Management Company, RAMCO, in Abuja.

Tegbe explained that the decision was necessary to ensure that the renewable energy facilities installed by the government do not suffer the same fate as other public assets that have been abandoned due to poor maintenance.

According to him, the institutions have enjoyed free electricity from some of the projects for a period, but that arrangement will end as the government moves to introduce tariffs.

“It is a new dawn. We are very good at building public assets but poor at sustaining them. RAMCO offers a different model to renewable energy. Nigeria has lived too long with embarrassing electricity,” the minister said.

He recalled how some universities visited him to appreciate the government for providing free electricity for two years.

“Some universities came to me on a courtesy visit to thank me after using free light for two years. I told them, thank you; the pro bono is over. We are coming to commission, and you will pay tariff. The same thing with teaching hospitals,” Tegbe added.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, backed the minister’s position, saying beneficiary institutions would have to contribute towards maintaining the facilities.

Aliyu said the Federal Government, through the REA, had deployed 82 megawatts of solar hybrid power to 22 federal universities and three teaching hospitals since 2017 under the Energising Education Programme.

He said while government had funded the construction and deployment of the renewable energy facilities, the institutions benefiting from them must also play a role in keeping the projects running.

“Government has funded this asset. REA has built them. Beneficiary institutions must contribute to sustaining them by paying for the electricity they consume,” Aliyu said.

The newly unveiled RAMCO is expected to oversee the management and maintenance of the government’s renewable energy assets.

Among the institutions benefiting from the Federal Government’s renewable energy programme are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State.

Three teaching hospitals are also beneficiaries of the programme.

The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, were among dignitaries present at the Abuja event, Naija News reports.