…Build 32.8MW of captive generation
Nigeria’s universities are abandoning the national grid and joining manufacturers, steel companies and government agencies in building their own power plants as the country’s electricity crisis deepens and confidence in public power supply continues to erode.
Data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that tertiary institutions accounted for 32.8 megawatts (MW), or more than 80 percent, of the 40.82MW of captive generation capacity approved by the regulator in the first quarter of 2026, making universities the largest drivers of self-generation during the period.
The commission issued seven captive generation permits in the quarter, six of which went to universities and university-affiliated institutions, underscoring the growing shift by large electricity consumers away from reliance on the national grid.
The University of Port Harcourt and the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital secured the largest approvals at 10.7MW each, accounting for more than half of
