Part of the MOUAU hybrid solar power plant team
 

Nigeria’s electricity  grid which  collapsed Friday morning, has also plunged  Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State into total blackout as it's back up power supply, the yet to be commissioned multi-million hybrid solar power plant failed to provide substitute power

The University community which has been served on and off by the hybrid solar power plant during its test run, was caught off guard by the collapse of the national power grid and the failure of alternative power supply gradually brought academic and other activities to a halt 

The  3.0 MW hybrid solar power plant was executed by the Federal Government under its  Energising Education Project (EEP) had as  its target provision of 24-hour power supply for the University community and reduction of the high cost of generator-dependent power supply.

As at January 2026, though the solar hybrid power plant is considered operational and billed for final commissioning, there are hush-hush whispers in the University community that the plant may never live up to expectations as the project was executed with sub-standard materials and has never been functioning effectively during the test run since it's completion middle of 2025

Dailyledger.com.ng reports that as at May 2025, the university management and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), which awarded the project  held high-level meetings to finalize the transition into the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) phase as the  plant was deemed  capable of supplying electricity to the campus, even while formally designated as "yet to be commissioned" at that time.

However, Experts who spoke off record to this reporter dismissed the project as a 'white elephant' as rather than contribute towards reducing costs of supplying power to MOUAU, it has rather hiked  operational cost of power supply.

"Contrary to projections, the MOUAU hybrid solar power plant is unable to store power, even at the peak of sunlight, enormous costs are used in diesel supply for the solar plant even as the University continue to rely on generators for power supply during blackouts", said a technical officer of the University who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Efforts to speak to the University management met a brick wall as telephone calls to MOUAU was neither answered nor sms messages replied.