The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has praised the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for improving access to reliable electricity, particularly in the education sector.
Alausa said the agency’s recent progress under its Managing Director, Abba Aliyu, showed a significant change in the way renewable energy projects were being delivered and managed in Nigeria.
The minister spoke in Abuja at the launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO), where he described Aliyu’s leadership at the REA as transformational.
According to Alausa, the level of progress recorded by the agency in the past two years was greater than what had been achieved cumulatively over the previous decade.
“We are seeing the genius in you, and the way you are managing REA is phenomenal,” the minister said, praising the agency for taking a more proactive approach to electricity projects.
One of the examples highlighted by Alausa was the University of Abuja, where a 3.2-megawatt renewable energy installation is now providing electricity around the clock.
The minister said the project was particularly important because reliable electricity allows researchers and students to work without being disrupted by power outages.
For universities, electricity is more than just a convenience. Laboratories, research centres, computer systems, libraries, hostels and other academic facilities depend heavily on stable power to operate effectively.
Alausa therefore stressed that improving electricity supply could have a direct impact on the quality of education and research in Nigerian institutions.
He said reliable energy was essential for effective teaching, innovation, research and a better experience for students.
However, the minister noted that installing renewable energy equipment was only the beginning. He said the government must also ensure that such infrastructure is properly maintained so that it continues to deliver the expected benefits.
According to him, renewable energy systems require skilled technical personnel, regular monitoring and timely replacement of faulty or worn-out components.
He also called for clear accountability in the management of the installations to prevent valuable public assets from deteriorating.
This, he said, was one of the reasons the creation of RAMCO was important.
The Renewable Asset Management Company is expected to move the country beyond simply installing renewable energy systems to ensuring that the assets remain functional over the long term.
Alausa said RAMCO should introduce greater professionalism into the management of renewable energy infrastructure and adopt a preventive approach to maintenance.
Rather than waiting for equipment to fail before taking action, he said operators should identify potential problems early and address them before they affect electricity supply.
The minister’s comments highlight the growing connection between Nigeria’s renewable energy drive and the education sector.
As universities and other learning institutions increasingly adopt alternative power sources, effective management of these systems will be critical to ensuring that investments in clean energy translate into lasting improvements in education, research and innovation.
