President of Asteven Group, Council on Renewable Energy in Nigeria (CREN) and founder of Asteven Renewable Energy Institute, Dr Sunny Akpoyibo, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration can create millions of jobs in the country in the solar energy industry.
Akpoyibo who stated this in an interview with journalists in Abuja, said the job creation can be achieved through properproper partnership and inclusion of private sector players in the industry.
He also called on President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on practical solar energy training for at least 500 youths across all the local governments in the country in the next four years so that more than 20 million Nigerians can be gainfully employed.
The CREN and Asteven Group president urged the Federal Government to partner with various stakeholders such as States, National Assembly, NGOs, Non-profit Foundations, Oil Companies and private companies in sponsoring youths to save the country billions of Naira that would have been exported out of the country.
“According to a recent report by economic analysts and experts Nigeria is projected to record an increase in unemployment to more than 40 percent in 2023 posing a great challenge to the new government of President, Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was sworn into office 29th May, 2023.
“This is a red alert comparing the resultant effect of unemployment in the country from 2018 when it was almost half the current speculation giving rise to insecurity and unprecedented high rate of crime in the country majorly perpetuated by the youths.
“It is also imperative to emphasise that the projection may be far less than what will be recorded in the days ahead due given the removal fuel subsidy,” he said.
Akpoyibo said even though Nigeria with a population of over 100 million youths and one of the most endowed countries with solar energy in the world, the country still ranks very low in complying with the energy transition programme in the areas of technical expertise and product manufacturing.
He said: “A large population of Nigeria youths are ignorant of the industry and have been unable to harness the enormous opportunities in the industry giving the billions of dollars invested into the sector. So many youths are looking for white collar jobs when they can be financially independent through the acquisition of skills in the solar energy industry.
“The numerous solar energy projects implemented by the previous administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari even though well intended were short lived due to the lack of sustainability plan that would have mitigated the billions lost in deployment of solar projects such as Solar Naija Home, Energizing Education, Energizing Markets, Solar off-grid etc.
“Even the government agencies executed projects that were without provision for equal deployment of technical skills that would ensure sustainability and maintenance of such projects. How can solar companies take people from Akwa Ibom to go and execute a solar project in Kano with little or no skilled indigenes? Already such a project cannot be sustainable as you don’t expect the expert to travel from Akwa Ibom to Kano anytime there is a problem with the system,” he said.
The renewable energy consultant said Nigeria is currently generating just 37 megawatts of solar energy when it holds the potential for 500,000 megawatts, and estimated billions of dollars in economic value to equip the youths to become empowered and economically viable within their immediate communities.
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