Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), one of Nigeria’s oldest and largest tertiary institutions, spends about ₦4 billion ($2.6 million) annually on electricity bills, a cost Vice Chancellor Professor Adamu Ahmed says is “crippling and unsustainable.”
Speaking at a news conference to mark the university’s 63rd anniversary in Zaria, northern Nigeria, Ahmed said the rising energy costs were straining academic and research activities, forcing the institution to seek alternative power sources.
“The electricity bill is weighing heavily on our finances,” he said. “We are taking steps towards self-reliance and challenging our staff and students to innovate, while pursuing partnerships for sustainable energy solutions.”
Ahmed said the federal government had acknowledged the burden, providing ₦1 billion ($650,000) in intervention funding last year through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and approving a new 10-megawatt renewable energy project for the university.
He added that ABU’s alumni had also begun supporting the energy transition, citing a solar-powered project by the School of Basic Studies (SBS) class of 1975 for one of the university’s computer-based testing centres.
Founded in 1962 by the late Northern Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the university was established to promote unity and development across Nigeria.
Ahmed said insecurity and poverty have since hindered progress in the region, but pledged that ABU would play a greater role in addressing these challenges through research, agriculture, and policy advocacy.
“We believe insecurity cannot be solved by force alone,” he said. “Our approach is to promote dialogue, understanding, and community-driven peacebuilding. We have the research capacity and networks to make an impact.”
The vice chancellor highlighted ABU’s agricultural resources, including the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), the National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, describing them as unmatched in West Africa.
From its modest beginning with four faculties, 15 departments, and 426 students, ABU has expanded to 18 faculties, 110 departments, seven institutes, four colleges, and 17 research centres. It is now considered the largest university system in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ahmed said ABU was recently ranked Nigeria’s best public university in the 2025 Times Higher Education list and is among three Nigerian universities featured in the QS 2025 World University Rankings.
He also disclosed that the institution had secured three World Bank Centres of Excellence grants worth over $15 million and a €5 million Horizon grant for an artificial intelligence project developing microscopes for diagnosing neglected tropical diseases.
According to him, ABU’s researchers and students have registered more than 30 patents globally, covering renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and crude oil refining technologies.
Despite these achievements, Ahmed warned that inadequate funding, brain drain, and decaying infrastructure pose significant challenges to sustainability. He said the university would focus on digital learning, research commercialization, and start-up incubation to strengthen self-reliance.
He urged the university’s alumni to contribute through endowments and donations, saying: “The Sardauna gave you opportunity; now it is time to give back. You have the resources, the talent, and the influence to secure ABU’s future for generations to come.”