The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has delivered a 6-megawatt hybrid mini-grid to Bayero University, Kano (BUK), providing the institution with stable and efficient electricity to enhance teaching, research, and learning.

The agency also flagged off the construction of a 1.5MW solar mini-grid at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply and strengthen quality healthcare delivery in the facility.

Although the Federal Government completed a 3.5MW renewable energy plant at BUK in 2019, the project became moribund due to poor management.

The new REA intervention revives and upgrades the abandoned infrastructure, expanding the capacity to 6MW with improved technology, including a transition to lithium battery systems for enhanced sustainability.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Dala, REA’s Managing Director, Abba Aliyu, said the project forms part of the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative introduced by President Bola Tinubu to close electricity access gaps across key sectors of the economy.

Aliyu explained that the agency is mandated to take electricity to unserved areas and strengthen power supply in underserved communities, including critical institutions such as the Orthopaedic Hospital.

“This intervention is one of many under the National Public Sector Solarization Initiative, designed to support four critical sectors of the economy – education, health, agriculture, and security,” he said.

He noted that hybrid mini-grids have already been deployed in 15 federal universities, including BUK, where the mini-grid has now been rehabilitated and expanded to 6MW.

On the healthcare intervention, Aliyu said the 1.5MW solar mini-grid in Dala would provide the hospital with sustainable power, especially as it prepares to install new MRI equipment that requires uninterrupted electricity.

“This creates a nexus between our mandate and that of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which is providing MRI equipment. We are ensuring the hospital gets reliable electricity to operate it effectively,” he added.

In his remarks, the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Isa Nurudeen, praised President Bola Tinubu and the REA for the timely intervention, saying it would significantly reduce dependence on expensive diesel generators and improve service delivery.

He noted that many hospitals have struggled with electricity challenges, especially those on Band A tariffs, but the solar mini-grid would ease the financial burden and benefit patients.

“With this intervention, we are good to go. It is coming at exactly the time we need it, as we prepare to run our MRI services 24 hours a day. This will reduce the cost of care for patients because power is the biggest operational cost for any hospital,” Nurudeen said.

He added that the intervention would reduce environmental impact and improve overall hospital efficiency.

The Federal Government recently executed a similar project at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) to address chronic power shortages and high electricity bills.

The development followed a dispute between the Kano Electricity Distribution Company and AKTH that led to a blackout in the facility, resulting in the deaths of several patients.