The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Tanko Ishaya, has described the power supply situation in the university as miserable, lamenting that even though the monthly bill has quadrupled since the current banding exercise by DISCOs, the university gets only five hours of electricity supply daily.
Speaking yesterday (Thursday, December 5) in Jos, the Plateau State capital, as part of activities marking his third year in office, Prof. Ishaya lamented that the university is facing significant increases in electricity bills due to power outages and load shedding, with costs rising to four times of previous amounts, making it difficult to manage expenses.
The vice chancellor said the situation has made the learning environment very difficult especially against the backdrop of increasing security challenges.
He said that even though the university is exploring alternatives, particularly solar energy, the cost is so enormous that the institution can’t afford it without getting development partners involved.
“The university is seeking Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) where companies would install solar systems at no upfront cost to the university, but concerns exist about potential high ongoing costs. The university leadership is lobbying government agencies for funding and support to establish a solar energy farm, including meetings with the Minister of Finance and Rural Electrification Agency (REA),” Prof. Ishaya said.
To manage current electricity costs, the VC said the university is implementing energy-saving strategies, such as encouraging staff and students to switch off lights and appliances when not in use.
On students’ welfare, the VC said the university is working closely with the Directorate of Student Affairs to monitor where students are living, both on and off campus.
This includes liaising with landlords to understand the conditions of off-campus accommodations.
He said the university has continued to grow under his administration with the number of academic staff increasing.
Also, Ishaya disclosed that 70 out of 75 programmes run by the university have received full accreditation with National Universities Commission (NUC) amounting to about 93.3% of the programmes in contrast to 57.3% before he assumed office in December 2021.
“We have stabilised our academic calendar
We have created two additional faculties and over 20 new academic programmes that are contemporary and currently awaiting NUC resource verification exercise,” the VC enthused.
