The Federal Government has promised support for Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife to generate electricity for the consumption of the university and its host community, Ile-Ife in Osun State.
The Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jeddy Agba, made the promise at the weekend when he led a delegation to the OAU campus to assess the ongoing Independent Power Project (IPP).
He said the university would quit the national grid after completion of its IPP.
The minister, therefore, said that the Federal Government would support the university to make it complete the project very soon.
He allayed the fear of funding, saying that some donor agencies had shown full commitment to support the project.
He said that the Federal Government would not derail in ensuring the completion of the project as soon as possible.
Agba said: “This project is in the heart of the Federal Government. It is committed to empowering and developing our universities. This project must come to a final completion soon. I have come, I have seen but I have not conquered. We shall soon conquer.”
“I am a part of the project. It is not just Ife project. I am personally involved. OAU is a major university in Nigeria. We are ready to empower our universities for research in Engineering, Economics, Health and other areas to inspire development.
“This is in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to education development and we shall not renege on this. So, I am satisfied with the level of work on the site and I can assure you of government’s quick response to the call by the university management to come to its rescue in the execution of this project.”
OAU Vice Chancellor Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede said that the university resolved to build its own Independent Power Project to reduce cost of electricity supply which he put at the average of N65 million monthly.
He said that the university consumed about 6.0 megawatts of electricity.
The vice chancellor, who said the university was working with a rural electrification agency to provide a gas-powered turbine to generate electricity for the institution, added that when completed, the project would generate 8.0 megawatts of electricity for the institution and also quit the national grid.
Ogunbodede also said that the power project would not only supply power to OAU, but also the entire Ife community for 24 hours.
