{
  "id": 9033825,
  "title": "NEMSA Certifies 3.3MW Solar Project at Gowon Varsity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/nemsa-certifies-3-3mw-solar-project-at-gowon-varsity",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T23:22:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/22/nemsa-certifies-3-3mw-solar-project-at-gowon-varsity/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) recently certified the newly built 3.3-megawatt solar hybrid power plant at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly known as University of Abuja. Following thorough inspection, testing, and assessment to ensure compliance with technical standards, regulations, and safety requirements, the project was officially put into operation. The project's inauguration was spearheaded by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, as part of the Federal Government's Energising Education Programme (EEP), executed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) in partnership with the World Bank and other partners. NEMSA's certification aligns with its duty to enforce technical standards and regulations, conduct inspections, tests, and certify electrical installations, electricity meters, and instruments, thereby ensuring safety and suitability of electrical infrastructure within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Tegbe hailed the project as a significant investment in educational infrastructure, emphasizing that dependable electricity is crucial for teaching, learning, research, and innovation. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of REA, hailed the project as another milestone in the EEP's implementation. Aliyu noted that EEP projects in educational institutions nationwide are positively impacting over 300,000 students and more than 50,000 academic and administrative staff. In his remarks, Yakubu Gowon University's Vice Chancellor, Hakeem Fawehinmi, stated that the solar hybrid plant would bolster electricity supply and cater to the escalating energy demands of the university's expanding academic and residential population. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has initiated the repair of four transmission towers that were vandalized along the Afam-IPP-Elelenwo 132kV double-circuit transmission line. The vandalized towers, denoted as T50 to T53, were discovered on August 6, 2026, by TCN's lines engineers in the Port Harcourt Region. Members of the four towers had been removed and taken by vandals. TCN explained that the incident marked the fifth vandalism attack on the same transmission line recently. The company reiterated that rehabilitation work is in progress to restore the damaged infrastructure and appealed to stakeholders, including communities, security agencies, and other parties along transmission corridors, to join hands in protecting vital electricity infrastructure from escalating vandalism.",
  "summary": "The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has inspected and certified the newly commissioned 3.3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly University of Abuja. The certification followed",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}