The Federal Government, through the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), on Friday inaugurated the groundbreaking of a 2-megawatt solar hybrid project worth N3.8 billion at Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil, Kano State.
The project, part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Solarization initiative, also saw the commissioning of 200 solar-powered streetlights within the institution.
The groundbreaking ceremony was performed by Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director General of ECN, alongside the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh SAN.
Dr. Abdullahi said contractors handling the project were given a three-month deadline for completion. He explained that the project is designed to provide sustainable energy for the university, reducing its monthly electricity expenditure of N22.4 million.
“Today’s groundbreaking at Wudil follows our ceremony at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in September 2025, where a 4MW system is being installed, and last week’s event at Bayero University Kano. Each project is standalone but forms a building block in a national program covering hospitals and tertiary institutions across all 36 states and the FCT.
“The contract for this project, worth N3.8 billion, has been awarded to Safiatu Global Resources Limited with a strict three-month completion mandate, no contract sum variations, and full accountability under the Commission’s monitoring framework,” he added.
Dr. Abdullahi noted that each groundbreaking is preceded by rigorous technical assessments, including energy audits, load assessments, site surveys, and system design.
He said ADUSTECH hosts 24,339 people, including 2,462 staff and 5,200 hostel beds, with actual energy demand ranging between 12.3 and 16.4 MW, while the connected utility load is only 8.26 MW—already beyond what the grid can reliably deliver.
“The institution spends an average of N22.4 million monthly on electricity, while its diesel backup provides just 2.07 MVA. This energy gap is unacceptable, and this project is the first step in addressing it,” he said.
Based on the full load profile and available land, the ECN recommends a 7-Megawatt Solar Mini-grid as the complete solution for the campus’s energy needs.
Minister Tochukwu-Udeh said the 2MW installation is not philanthropy but a strategic national policy under the Renewed Hope Solarization project. He stressed that the government is investing because of the institution’s role in innovation and solutions to Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Musa Tukur-Yakasai described the project as a landmark step toward sustainable energy, innovation, and academic excellence, noting its potential to strengthen the university’s research and academic capacity.
