Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, spends nearly ₦4 billion annually on electricity, a burden its Vice Chancellor, Professor Adamu Ahmed, has described as “crippling and unsustainable.”
Speaking at a press conference to mark the university’s 63rd anniversary on Saturday at the Senate Building, Samaru Campus, the Vice Chancellor said the huge energy cost has negatively impacted academic activities and research.
To address the challenge, he said the university has embarked on a transition to renewable energy, engaging staff, students, and alumni to develop sustainable solutions that would reduce dependence on the national grid.
According to him, the Federal Government has acknowledged the problem and provided a ₦1 billion intervention fund through TETFund last year. It has also approved a 10-megawatt renewable energy project for the institution.
“We’ve also reached out to our alumni, particularly the SBS Class of 1975, who are implementing a solar-powered project for one of our CBT centres.
“We are taking our destiny into our own hands while expecting continued support from within and outside.”Professor Ahmed said.
He noted that ABU was founded to serve as a bridge of unity and national development, reflecting the vision of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, who established the university to educate Nigerians across regional, ethnic, and religious divides.
Professor Ahmed, however, lamented that insecurity and poverty had hindered the North’s growth and disrupted educational progress.
He said ABU would now focus on addressing these challenges through research, innovation, and community-driven development.
Highlighting the university’s comparative advantage in agriculture, the Vice Chancellor said ABU’s Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI), and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine give it unmatched potential to drive Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
He also emphasized that insecurity could not be resolved by military force alone, calling for non-kinetic strategies that promote dialogue, understanding, and peacebuilding.
“We have the capacity, the research, and the networks to help shape sustainable solutions,” he said.
Reflecting on ABU’s legacy, Ahmed said the institution has grown from four faculties, 15 departments, and 426 students in 1962 to 18 faculties, 110 departments, seven institutes, four colleges, and 17 research centres—making it the largest university system in sub-Saharan Africa.
He disclosed that ABU was ranked the best public university in Nigeria in 2025 by Times Higher Education and also received the JAMB award for internationalization and diversity. Additionally, it remains one of only three Nigerian universities featured in the QS 2025 World University Rankings.
ABU, he added, has 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 to improve the diagnosis of neglected tropical diseases.
The university’s staff and students, he revealed, have registered over 30 patents locally and internationally across renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and refining technologies — underscoring ABU’s global research relevance.
Despite these achievements, Ahmed warned that funding gaps, brain drain, and decaying infrastructure pose serious threats to sustainability. He said the university will intensify efforts in digital learning, research commercialization, and start-up incubation to promote self-reliance.
The Vice Chancellor appealed to the institution’s vast alumni network to support ABU through endowments, annual giving, and donations, describing them as the university’s “greatest strength.”
“I call on our alumni to step up,” he said. “The Sardauna gave you opportunity; now it is time to give back. You have the resources, the talent, and the influence to secure the future of this great university for generations to come.” he said.
