The Federal Government has disclosed that it has electrified no fewer than 15 federal universities and teaching hospitals with hybrid solar grids with a combined capacity of 35.5 megawatts.

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, stated this at the just-concluded Alliance for Rural Electrification Energy Access Forum in Lagos.

Aliyu disclosed that the aim was to supply 24-hour electricity to 350,000 students while giving 50,000 lecturers access to electricity.

He explained that the Nigeria Electrification Project, funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, was a $550m project.

One of the universities, he said, included the University of Maiduguri and its teaching, where a 12MW solar grid was installed.

Others are the University of Abuja; the Federal University, Yobe; the Federal University of Calabar and its teaching hospital; the Nigerian Defence Academy; the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and others.

The REA boss maintained that the projects in those academic institutions would be launched by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in the next two months.