Prof. Oguejiofor Ujam, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State, states that the university has been incurring high electricity bills of at least N200 million per month.
Prof Ujam, a professor, disclosed this on Tuesday in Enugu at a press briefing to mark the institution’s 54th convocation ceremony. “One of the most pressing challenges confronting the university, and indeed many institutions across the nation, is the escalating cost of electricity. We are currently grappling with unsustainably high electricity bills, with monthly expenditures across the Nsukka, Enugu, and Ituku-Ozalla Campuses exceeding an alarming N200 million. This financial burden significantly impacts our operational capacity and resource allocation,” he said.
The vice-chancellor, however, stated that his administration had initiated efforts to mitigate electricity costs and transition towards more sustainable energy sources. “We are rigorously implementing energy-saving measures across all campuses, optimising our energy consumption patterns, and promoting energy-efficient practices among staff and students. More significantly, we are actively exploring and investing in alternative energy solutions, including solar and hybrid systems,” he said.
He added that the initiative was not essentially cost-saving, but geared towards ensuring a stable and uninterrupted power supply for research and learning. Prof Ujam announced during the press briefing that 167 students of the university have bagged First Class Honours degrees in various disciplines.
The acting vice-chancellor announced that 9,821 students would be awarded bachelor’s degrees, diplomas, and certificates from the university at the convocation ceremony scheduled for Friday at the Nsukka Campus of the institution. He said that 3,485 students will be conferred with second-class upper degrees, 5,217 will receive second-class lower degrees, 739 will earn third-class degrees, and 33 will receive a pass.
Prof Ujam added that 180 students will be conferred with unclassified degrees. Speaking on the postgraduate awards, the acting vice-chancellor said: “We are also conferring 616 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, 1,101 Master of Science degrees, 133 Master of Business Administration degrees, and 42 Postgraduate Diplomas.
