Prof. Florence Obi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, has stated that if the envisaged World Bank intervention geared towards providing sustainable power through the solar power projects is completed, the university community would have huge power relief.
The VC stated this when officials of the Rural Electrification Agency, accompanied by some contractors for the World Bank-Assisted Solar Power Project paid her a courtesy call in Calabar on Tuesday.
The Vice-Chancellor told the REA officials that one of the biggest challenges her administration was facing was that of sustainable power supply.
Obi expressed optimism that with the power project, there was hope for constant power supply in the institution that would engender effective research.
While expressing her enthusiasm towards the project, she charged the contractors vying for the job to put in their best to deliver a timely and quality job by using the best materials for the project.
She said: “As we all know, the supply of power is very important to every sector and the University of Calabar is not an exception.
“Energy is the biggest challenge every university is facing; the money we invest in energy is huge and if this burden of energy can be taken care of by REA through the intervention of the World Bank, the funds we used for energy can be channelled into other areas of need.”
Earlier in his remark, the leader of the team and Senior Technical Adviser of REA, Timothy Shekarau, commended the Vice-Chancellor for her continuous support to REA for a successful implementation of the project.
He informed the VC that the first stage of the project, which entails the successful selection of the contractors, which UNICAL is a beneficiary, has been concluded.
According to Shekarau, they were in the university to give an update on the project process, as well as carry out a joint survey with the contractors to enable them to respond to the Request for Proposal, both technical and financial.
He said that the objective of the REA was to provide sustainable and clean power supply to the university and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
He explained that some of the components of the projects involved the building of the power plant and rehabilitation of the university street light.
Other components include building of a world-class workshop and training centre for capacity development in the energy sector, as well as distribution and evacuation.
He noted that the desire of having 24-hour power supply will be achieved, adding that there was a plan for the sustainability of the project.
