UDUS Vice-Chancellor Assures Campus Community of Imminent End to Power Outage

Prof. Bashir Garba, the Vice-Chancellor of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, has acknowledged the prolonged power outage on campus, assuring the university community that efforts are underway to restore stable electricity.

Speaking during an interview with VANGUARD PRESS, the VC explained that the disruption resulted from a technical fault in the solar power system. This, he lamented, made it inactive for several months.

Although procured from a Greece-based company, the solar facility developed a server-related issue that has hindered its operation despite significant financial commitments by the university.

"The solar system has a server problem, and the company responsible for its operation is based in Greece. The server is currently down, and we recently paid ₦1.8 million to the company's Nigerian representative to fix the issue after settling our subscription fee since December last year," he said.

The VC further added that the electricity currently available on campus is not being supplied through the solar system but through the public electricity distribution network.

"The light currently available in the university is not from the solar system. I personally engaged with the electricity distribution company to ensure that the university was reconnected to the national grid," he noted.

Prof. Garba disclosed that the university management is also pursuing the possibility of being placed on Band A, a category expected to provide more consistent power supply to support academic activities and improve students' welfare.

Of which he promised: "Additional steps are being taken to ensure the university is classified under Band A so that students can enjoy a more reliable electricity supply."

He maintained that the management is fully aware of the challenges caused by the blackout and is working diligently to resolve the situation.

"We have heard all the complaints from students, and we are doing everything possible to make the system more convenient and conducive for learning," he said.

The Vice-Chancellor expressed optimism that the power challenges would soon be resolved, assuring students that brighter days lie ahead for the institution.