Solar power lights up learning on campuses across Nigeria

Ademola Adeniyi, a third-year student at the University of Lagos in south-west Nigeria, discovered as a first-year that he preferred doing his reading at night in classes on the campus.

The microbiology student found that he could concentrate better during the quieter nights on campus, but an unstable power supply disrupted this study routine in his first year.

Recently, however, there have been some positive developments. Said Adeniyi: “Fortunately, things have improved since the University of Lagos embraced green technology. Now, the campus is powered by solar panels, which provide a reliable and sustainable energy source, even at night.”

This has made night reading easier for him and other students, as they no longer have to worry about power outages or have to rely on noisy, expensive generators.

“It has significantly contributed to my academic progress because, with lectures filling the morning and afternoon, the evening and night hours became the ideal time for me to focus on studying and completing assignments,” Adeniyi told University World News.

As universities increasingly embrace solar energy, students are reaping the benefits and achieving higher academic success.

Like Adeniyi, Olugbon Hawau, a third-year biology education student at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, in north-west Nigeria’s Sokoto State, used to do her reading in the afternoon due to unstable electricity on campus at night. She preferred a well-ventilated space , so she turned to the library with reliable light provided by solar energy or a generator.

“I’m not used to night reading because there’s no consistent light,” she said while speaking to University World News. Even with exams approaching, her study session ended once her phone shut down. This affected her GPA (grade point average) negatively.

Realising the impact on her grades, she changed her approach in her second year, to study at night using solar-powered facilities, and solar street lights when the available classes where students can study were full. Studying with friends and asking questions, her GPA improved from 3.38 in the first year to 3.77 in the second year.

Now in her third year, she continues the new approach and hopes that her GPA will keep increasing.

Obichukwu Chiamaka, a second-year pure chemistry student at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, called solar a “gamer changer”.

Chiamaka continued: “To further enhance our academic environment, the university should extend solar installations to all departments, addressing areas without adequate streetlight coverage.”

This sentiment echoes the positive experiences of students like Umaru Lukman from Bayero University, Kano State, who also emphasises the importance of solar power to create conducive study conditions.

Unstable electricity provisioning

Nigeria faces electricity challenges, especially in its higher education institutions. The country’s power generation capacity is around 12,522 megawatts, but only about 4,500 megawatts reach its population of over 200 million. This power instability affects students’ learning in public institutions.

With over 160 universities located in Nigeria’s urban areas, there is also concern about pollution and environmental damage. These universities contribute to environmental issues through high energy usage, waste production and greenhouse gas emissions.

But a report by the World Bank Group titled, The Impact of School infrastructure on Learning: A synthesis of the evidence, reveals that the absence of a consistent electricity supply poses challenges to students, impacting productivity and hindering academic achievement.

Studies indicate that incorporating solar energy into school infrastructure fosters environmental responsibility and contributes to cost savings and community engagement for administrators and school proprietors.

Energy experts have stressed that it is crucial for institutions, including universities, to adopt eco-friendly technologies. However, some Nigerian universities are taking the lead by implementing green practices to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainable living.

Despite the potential for solar power to decrease operational expenses and mitigate air pollution in the environment, numerous schools in Nigeria have yet to embrace this innovation.

Khalil Yahya Kamar, a lecturer in educational psychology at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, told University World News: “I’ve seen how solar energy positively impacts schools. It helps with electricity issues and is an eco-friendly solution, aligning with global efforts for cleaner energy.”

He added that using solar energy is not just a tech upgrade; but a wise investment in the future. It lets universities lead by example, promoting sustainability and improving the student learning experience.

He concluded: “Picture a campus with solar panels using sunlight as a reliable and green energy source. This ensures continuous learning and encourages students to care for the environment by reducing the institution’s carbon footprint.”

Adopting solar energy

In 2016, the government launched the renewable energy project under the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The Energising Education Programme (EEP) was designed as a collaborative effort to get 37 federal universities off the national grid by introducing clean energy (solar power) to provide them with a reliable power supply and it would be executed in three phases.

The objective was to ensure sustainable development, to boost standard research, and decommission hundreds of institutional generators.

This project received backing from the World Bank, allocating US$105 million for programme implementation. This funding encompasses engineering, procurement and construction for power plants, installation of street lights to enhance campus security, rehabilitation of existing distribution infrastructure, one-year operations and maintenance for the power plant, and the establishment of state-of-the-art workshop and training centres.

However, data obtained from the REA on the overall progress status of the EEP indicates that nine universities and one teaching hospital, which are in the first phase of the project, are running smoothly with the installation of solar hybrid and gas-fired captive power plants.

The universities include the University of Lagos, the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) in Ebonyi State, Bayero University in Kano State, Federal University of Petroleum Resources in Delta State, Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Anambra State, the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Benue, and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Gubi Campus, Bauchi, are also on the list.

Previously, these institutions had only about seven hours of power per day.

In September 2023, the federal government announced the commencement of the second phase of the EEP solar energy project. This ongoing initiative aims to implement the project in an additional 12 federal universities and seven teaching hospitals within Nigeria. The third phase is anticipated to complement the remaining institutions, ensuring coverage for all 37 schools.

A future with clean energy?

Dr Tasi’u Ahmad Rufai, a mathematics lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, told University World News he works under street lights at night.

He suggests reallocating two additional hours of daytime solar power to the evening, highlighting the dual benefits of increased security and improved study conditions. He emphasises the positive impact on both students’ reading habits and campus safety.

Reflecting on the university’s cost reduction by utilising solar energy, he proposes that other institutions follow suit to decrease expenses associated with the unreliable Power Holding Company of Nigeria (formerly the National Electric Power Authority) electricity. While acknowledging financial challenges, Rufai credits NGOs and individuals for supporting solar initiatives in some universities.

Advocating for government support, he acknowledges the difficulties in obtaining solar power, but believes lobbying efforts by universities can make a difference. Stressing the importance of maintenance fees for sustainability, Rufai recounts many instances of lecture interruptions and laboratory challenges due to electricity shortages.

With a nod to the growing importance of solar power amid unreliable power services, he predicts a future when solar prevails, especially in institutions and industries. Rufai envisions a scenario in which companies would transition from the national power grid to solar, potentially making unreliable electricity a thing of the past in Nigeria.