FULafia Students Tour Solar Power Plant to Enhance Practical Learning

Two hundred-level students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) have visited the university's solar power plant as part of efforts to bridge classroom learning with practical industry experience.

The students, drawn from the Departments of Physics, Physics Education and Science Laboratory Technology, are offering the PHY 206 (Energy and Environment) course.

The excursion was led by the course lecturer, Dr. Aisha Ademoh Bello, who said the visit was organised to expose students to the components, operations and practical applications of utility-scale solar energy systems.

During the tour, the students inspected key facilities, including:

• Photovoltaic solar panels
• Inverters
• Battery energy storage systems
• Transformers
• Lightning protection facilities

They also visited the Main Control Room, where engineers demonstrated the monitoring and control systems used to ensure efficient operation of the solar power plant.

The students were further taught how electricity generated as direct current (DC) by solar panels is converted into alternating current (AC) for distribution across the university campus.

The tour was facilitated by:

• Engr. Oyikwu Ochoche Samuel
• Engr. Hamza Muhammad Bida
• Engr. Paul Itegila
• Mrs. Faridah Makanjuola Adepetan
• Acting Director, Centre for Energy Studies, Dr. Hamza Abdulkarim

A Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) intern, Khadijah Hussain Adam, also shared her experience with the students, highlighting the project's contribution to renewable energy education and sustainable national development.

The university said the excursion forms part of its commitment to providing students with practical exposure that complements classroom instruction and prepares them for careers in the energy sector.