The federal government has launched a nationwide training programme for 1,500 young Nigerians on renewable energy technologies to prepare the country for a cleaner and more sustainable future.
The initiative, implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under its Energising Education Programme, commenced in Maiduguri with 100 students of the University of Maiduguri forming the first batch of beneficiaries.
It is tied to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the electrification of unserved and underserved communities to stimulate economic growth and improve living standards.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the managing director of REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said the training was conceived to build a pool of skilled manpower capable of driving Nigeria’s ambition to become Africa’s renewable energy hub.
“This requires more than infrastructure deployment. It demands a new generation of young people who are technically trained in the operation, maintenance and financing of renewable energy projects,” he said.
Aliyu disclosed that the training was being conducted using renewable energy facilities already deployed by the agency across the country, giving participants practical, hands-on exposure.
He also announced that the maiden National Renewable Energy Forum will be held in Abuja in September, and all states are invited to attend.
According to him, Borno State was deliberately chosen as a launch point because of earlier investments in solar panel assembly plants, which align with the government’s plan to promote local manufacturing of renewable energy components.
“For Nigeria to truly become the renewable hub of Africa, we must encourage local manufacturing of renewable energy components. This is a key priority of Mr President, and one of the areas we are working closely with is the private sector to deliver,” he added.
Also speaking, the Head of the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP), Oluyemi Akinyulere, said the initiative builds on earlier efforts during the construction of the Maiduguri solar power plant, where 20 STEM students were engaged in the process from soil testing to plant commissioning.
He explained that the training would not be limited to Maiduguri, as similar programmes were planned across other campuses covered by the Energising Education Programme. He noted that each participating university will train about 100 students at world-class centres equipped as part of the projects.
Akinyulere added that 15 universities are expected to benefit from the current phase, while more institutions would be brought on board in subsequent phases.
