The Federal Government has announced plans to impose electricity tariffs on 25 tertiary institutions and teaching hospitals currently benefiting from its renewable energy projects.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Wednesday during the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO) in Abuja.
He explained that the tariffs are necessary to sustain and maintain the government’s renewable energy infrastructure.
“It is a new dawn. We are very good at building public assets but poor at sustaining them. Some universities have enjoyed free electricity for two years. I told them, thank you, but the pro bono is over. You will now pay tariffs,” Tegbe said.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, echoed the minister’s position, noting that since 2017, the government has deployed 82 megawatts of solar hybrid generation across 22 federal universities and three teaching hospitals under the Energising Education Programme.
Aliyu stressed that the institutions must contribute to sustaining the assets:“Government has funded these projects. REA has built them. Beneficiary institutions must pay for the electricity they consume.”
The announcement was made in the presence of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako.
Beneficiaries of the renewable energy initiative include Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University, Wukari; and three teaching hospitals.