Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE).team of FUNTAJ International School in Abuja has embarked on a five million naira solar power project .
The project, initiated by the students , was inaugurated on Thursday during the FUNTAJ SAGE Team Project launch, entitled “Light Up Naija”.
The President of the FUNTAJ SAGE Team, Abdulhadi Umar, said the aim of the project was to install solar panels in 14 community schools and provide 1,000 students with rechargeable lights in 2016.
Umar, who is also a student of the FUNTAJ School, said the project was targeted at eradicating the use of harmful kerosene lamp in Nigeria by providing safe and solar electricity for families.
He said that the project would provide free electricity and enable students in the rural areas to read at night and promote self-development.
“This project is aimed at providing 1,000 children in 14 rural schools and one Internally Displaced Persons camp with free, clean, safe, reliable, sustainable solar energy in their homes.”
He said that this would enable them to “continue to read, complete homework and generally improve in their education at night.
“ We intend to purchase the solar equipment, install them in the selected schools; train people on the principles of solar power.
“We want to promote safe electricity for students in the rural areas so that they can read at night and not add to the list of unemployed youths, thereby, reducing crime rate in the country,’’ he said.
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Umar solicited the support of Nigerians to make the project a reality and promote a safe environment.
In his address, Mr Agwu Amogu, President SAGE Africa, commended FUNTAJ school administration for providing quality education for Nigerian citizens.
He said youth unemployment “is a major challenge facing the country and the SAGE team intended to tackle the problem by providing hands-on learning entrepreneurship skills to students.
He said that the SAGE team wanted a situation where professionals in various fields were entrepreneurs and not just to depend on government salaries.
Dr Jafaru Mahmud, the Acting Managing Director, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Solar Energy Limited thanked SAGE and FUNTAJ for the successful launch of the project.
NASENI is the partnering agency providing and installing solar panels and sustainable light.
According to him, the project will help mitigate the effect of climate change as it is estimated that a single kerosene lamp emits one tonne of carbon over five years.
He added that inhaling the fumes was equivalent to smoking 40 packets of cigarettes a day.
“The Light Up Naija project is a laudable initiative aiming to improve the lives of school children in rural communities and providing clean and sustainable energy for their use.
The Principal, FUNTAJ International School, Mr George Bowery, said he was proud of the achievements of the students.
He said the project was aimed at saving and protecting the environment.
SAGE is an International NGO initiated at California State University, Chico, U.S. with the mission of helping to create the next generation of leaders through entrepreneurship skills.
