The Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka in Enugu State, has been connected with 1 unit of a 6kVA/48V Growatt Inverter with a 100A inbuilt solar charge controller, 1 unit of a 20kWh/48V Cworth Lithium Battery, and 450W Mono Solar Panels.

Providers of the installations, the Human Race Foundation (HRF), on Friday commissioned the project, stressing the need to connect underserved and unserved communities across the country.

The project, completed by HRF under its Greenhouse project for learning, is expected to provide clean, safe, uninterrupted, and reliable electricity to students in the faculty.

Speaking, HRF President, Dr. Chima Alexander Oti, who disclosed that the project was an idea from members of the foundation as a way of improving the lives of students in the school community, said power is essential for learning.

He noted: “We thought about how we can improve lives, we pulled our members together and they came up with this project, which I think is really a good idea.

“We launched one in Enugu last year, and today, we have come again to this faculty to commission this project because power is essential for learning, because they would charge their phones, do their work, and also we are building relationships with these departments by commissioning power projects.”

Disclosing plans of the foundation to provide renewable energy for the entire university, the president noted that the ultimate goal is to ensure that there is uninterrupted and sustainable power supply for the university students.

Also speaking, a member of HRF, Afam J. Anyika, noted that the reason behind the initiative is for the foundation to provide sustainable energy to aid students in learning, stressing the need for human empowerment in the country.

In his remarks, Dean, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Professor Thaddeus Chidi Nzeadibe, noted the development will herald an era of sustainable energy utilization, climate change mitigation, and environmental sustainability in the faculty, assuring that the solar facilities will be put into very effective use for the benefit of teeming students and staff.

A few months back, we received a proposal from the Human Race Foundation for installation of solar panels and associated components in our faculty.

“The installation of solar panels is expected to not only reduce our carbon footprint but also contribute significantly to the ongoing efforts to promote environmental sustainability within our university campus. Today, that proposal has come to reality courtesy of the benevolence of the Human Race Foundation.

“I wish to note that this gesture by the Human Race Foundation aligns perfectly with the vision and mission of the current leadership of the university, to lead in academic excellence while fostering a sustainable environment.

“Given that the installation is coming from an external partner, we earlier secured the buy-in and approval of the university administration to implement this project.

“I am particularly pleased that the donation and installation of the solar system to our faculty is coming at a time when our university is facing serious energy challenges arising from extremely huge monthly energy bills and frequent power cuts and outages, which make teaching, learning, and research very difficult.

“We gratefully acknowledge this collaboration with the Human Race Foundation and the positive impact it will have on both the students and staff of our faculty.

“Our faculty immensely thanks the Human Race Foundation for the successful implementation of this project at no cost to the faculty, today’s commissioning ceremony, and the career fair for students that will follow immediately after this event.

“We assure the Human Race Foundation that the solar facilities will be put into very effective use for the benefit of our teeming students and staff.”