LASU spends over N200m monthly on electricity — Commissioner

The Lagos State University spends more than N200 million every month on electricity, covering network bills and diesel used to power generators across its faculties, hostels, administrative buildings and essential services, a government official has disclosed.

Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr Tolani Sule, made the disclosure on Friday at the sod-turning ceremony for a TETFund/PPP Students’ Hostel Project at the university’s main campus in Ojo, describing the recurring expenditure as a significant financial burden that was squeezing funds available for academic and infrastructural development.

Sule attributed the rising energy costs to unstable grid supply and heavy reliance on diesel-powered generators, saying managing such expenses had become increasingly difficult amid competing priorities within the university system.

He expressed optimism, however, that a Federal Government-planned power plant would drastically reduce the cost burden. “With this power plant being planned for us, we believe a major challenge in electricity supply will be addressed,” he said, adding that stable electricity would enhance teaching, research and student welfare.

The commissioner commended the partnership between the federal and state governments, noting it had eased financial pressure on the state, and appealed for similar interventions in other Lagos-owned tertiary institutions, including LASUSTECH and LASUED.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who also spoke at the event, said the hostel project formed part of a broader strategy under President Bola Tinubu to improve learning conditions nationwide.

He announced that the Federal Government, through TETFund, would spend approximately N100 billion in 2026 on hostel construction across 50 institutions, with an additional N96 billion in related interventions bringing the total allocation for student accommodation projects to around N200 billion.

Alausa said N60 billion had been earmarked in 2026 for rehabilitating medical schools and upgrading teaching facilities, while N70 billion was allocated for upgrading engineering workshops and laboratories to modern standards.

On energy, the minister confirmed plans for independent power plants in selected institutions, including an 11-megawatt facility at LASU and an additional four-megawatt plant for its Epe campus, aimed at reducing dependence on unreliable public power supply and costly diesel generation.

Addressing the hostel project specifically, Alausa said the 1,500-bed facility would be funded through a public-private partnership involving TETFund and private investors, and would include a gym, library, canteen and recreational spaces in line with international standards.

He noted that LASU, with approximately 84,000 students, currently had only around 7,000 bed spaces, underlining the scale of the accommodation deficit the project seeks to address.

“This clearly shows the gap we are working to bridge. Students’ welfare remains a top priority for this government,” he said.

The minister also urged Nigerian youths to maintain a positive outlook, warning that persistent negative narratives risked discouraging investment and limiting opportunities for growth and innovation.

He highlighted ongoing government training programmes and a proposed Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification scheme for universities, aimed at producing job creators rather than job seekers.