The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) expressed concern regarding the substantial electricity bills incurred by the nation’s tertiary institutions, particularly universities, despite the limited power supply of only four hours per day.
Accordingly, the Fund announced its intention to promptly
organize a stakeholder meeting to discuss the necessity of implementing
alternative energy sources on school grounds.
During a meeting in Abuja yesterday with a delegation of the
National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by the National
President, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc.
Sonny Echono, expressed concern about the high electricity bills that some
universities are receiving. He noted that some universities are receiving
monthly electricity bills of between N300 million and N400 million, and
questioned how they are expected to manage in such a situation.
Arc. Echono disclosed that TETFund has initiated discussions
and held a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Power to explore
solutions to the issue of power supply in tertiary institutions.
“It’s going to be one of the major issues we are going to
look at when we call our major stakeholders’ meeting of all heads of schools.
We have to put our heads together to see how we need to have alternative
sources of power that will reduce the
burden.“
“As I speak, some universities are getting N300 million,
N400 million bill for electricity in one month. How can they cope? Some are
even rationing; they have power for only four hours a day,” he said.
The meeting with the student body was held due to the
planned protest regarding the current economic challenges in the country.
He advised Nigerian students to remain vigilant on all
campuses and protect school infrastructure by ensuring that external agitators
do not infiltrate the campuses and cause disruptions during the protest.
He introduced a series of infrastructure interventions aimed
at creating a conducive learning environment for students across all tertiary
institutions, which must be preserved.
He said: “I am
enjoining you today to please be on the watch out in all your campuses. All our
TETFund assets, all the buildings that taxpayers money has been used to
provide. Not only should you ensure that
you protect them, please nobody should go and destroy them.
”Let us not give chances to these hoodlums who will take
advantage of your legitimate demands to cause havoc. “
Echono emphasized the significance of maintaining a stable
academic calendar. He mentioned that President Bola Tinubu, upon learning about
the frequent disruptions in the academic calendar, provided specific
instructions to the minister. The minister was tasked with ensuring harmony in
the education sector, leading to a predictable academic calendar. This would
allow students to attend school, know when they will graduate, and ensure that
the academic calendar is adhered to.
“We are also pleased that this same president gave a charge
to us at TETFund that we must do everything possible to improve the learning
experience of our students, the quality of education we are getting and improve
your welfare on campus.”
Echono revealed that the fund has initiated the construction
of 36 contemporary hostel facilities in higher education institutions in 2024.
Furthermore, the president has directed the fund to increase the number of
facilities to 72 in 2025.
“This year, we are doing about 36 of them and are at various
stages; many of them have fulfilled procurement circle. Others are being done
through PPP. I was there to launch the one in Akwa Ibom and I have been
informed that three others are ready to commence.
“But the good news is that Mr President has directed that we
intensify this. So, instead of doing 36, next year we’ll be doing 72,” he said.
In response, the National President of NANS, Emonefe, stated
that the NANS leadership has made a conscious decision to refrain from
organizing a nationwide protest. This decision was reached after recognizing
that the majority of the favorable outcomes and interventions experienced by
students were not achieved through protest actions.
“We didn’t get them through protest and we believe that
through dialogue, we can achieve more. The student loan, we didn’t get it
through protest.
“If we protest, we would not get results, things will be
destroyed, our academic calendar will be obstructed, and we’ll spend more years
in school, we don’t want that.
“We want to set up a committee to ensure that those who want
to use our students and mobilize them in our campuses are monitored. Those who
want to infiltrate our campuses, we are not going to accept, they cannot use
us,” the NANS president said.