LIGHTING UP FUTO: BRINGING SOLAR TO YOUR CAMPUS

Back then in school, we joked about some lecture halls having a reductive multiplication factor to student’s Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA. This depends on their maximum variation from an ideal learning environment. Those with no seats, no public addressing system and/or were too congested for a single focal point had higher multiplication factor. We were not even talking about students’ comfort here; but, just the basic learning infrastructures. Of course, if we included comfort, every public higher institution in Nigeria would be tagged CGPA-detrimental.

The above illustration is in no way divergent from the motivation behind PATenergy Project initiated by Godsglory Ezeonu; an Emerging Nigerian Leader (ENL). As an ENL, Godsglory was charged with the responsibility of solving a community problem. It was not difficult for him to notice the light challenge his colleagues and including himself faced at Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). While this challenge may make a full story on its own, it is better, summarily kept to mind that, at FUTO, some students read under street lights at night, along the university pathways, competing with insects for ownership rights. Before you think it is a steady street light supply, wait a minute; it also epileptically blinks! You may also talk about power to charge phones as an alternative source or as a research tool. The same powerless fate befalls all.

To address this, Godsglory came up with a design which will not only ensure constant light supply for students of than 12, but will be a power reservoir, of great storage capacity, for multipurpose consumption. With assistance from the CSAAE Enterprise Development Unit, C-Ent, the prototype was manufactured and shipped in, meeting students’ need, taste and pocket.

We hope the plight of Nigerian students is addressed, but while we hope on those responsible, we take the lead. Information across several campuses in Nigeria, is that the light issue is not FUTO-exclusive. We hope to assist Nigerian students reduce the multiplicative factor to their CGPA.

UJA, JOY C. (EAL)
Editor-in-Chief

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About Our Founder
Father-Godswill-Agbagwa
Fr. Godswill Agbagwa

Godswill Uchenna Agbagwa is a Catholic priest and a social ethicist. He was born in Umueze Amaimo, a small village in Ikeduru LGA of Imo State to Mr. Charlyman Chikamnele Agbagwa and Mrs. Evelyn Chinyere Agbagwa of blessed memory.