Foundation Trains 500 Youth As Solar Technicians To Tackle Power Deficit, Unemployment

In a bold attempt to address Nigeria’s twin challenges of chronic electricity shortages and soaring youth unemployment, GreenWorks Africa Programme, implemented by EGO Foundation in partnership with Access Holdings, has trained 500 young Nigerians as certified solar installation technicians and green energy entrepreneurs.

The six-month programme was designed on the premise that unemployed youths could form the workforce required to close the nation’s widening clean energy gap. Nigeria, with over 200 million citizens, continued to battle erratic power supply, while youth unemployment remained above 30 per cent.

Findings at the end of the pilot phase of the training showed that many of the graduates launched micro-enterprises within weeks of completing the training, providing solar-powered solutions in their communities while earning sustainable income.

Executive Director of EGO Foundation, Mr Toluwase Olaniyan, remarked that the programme went beyond technical capacity building to address the structural barriers that limit youth entrepreneurship.

“You can teach someone to install solar panels, but if they can’t access a business loan or even open a bank account, you haven’t solved the problem. Access Holdings understood that real empowerment requires financial inclusion,” Olaniyan said.

Participants were trained in solar panel installation, electrical systems maintenance and technical troubleshooting in the mornings, while afternoons were dedicated to business development, including pricing, customer acquisition, financial management and operations.

Top-performing trainees were provided with complete professional toolkits to enable immediate take-off of their businesses, eliminating startup capital barriers.

Meanwhile, Access Holdings complemented the technical training with SME banking pathways and business advisory services for the graduates, ensuring that financial access matched their newly acquired skills.

Similarly, the programme recorded measurable impact, with 500 youths certified as solar technicians, multiple green micro-enterprises established, and 15 schools benefiting from functional solar installations through the Solar-for-Schools Challenge.

Similarly, in a deliberate push for inclusive growth, 40 per cent of participants were women, while five per cent were persons with disabilities.

According to Olaniyan, the results provided strong justification for scaling the initiative nationwide, noting that Nigeria’s clean energy sector currently lacks the skilled manpower needed to drive the renewable energy transition.

“We weren’t interested in certificates that collect dust. These graduates are installing solar systems in schools, wiring homes and building actual businesses. That is the real measure of success,” he stated.

However, plans wsre already underway to expand the programme in 2026 to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, with a target of training 2,000 additional youths across the three cities.

Stakeholders believed that the GreenWorks Africa model combining technical training, business education, startup support and financial inclusion offers a practical framework for national workforce development, especially in emerging sectors with high labour demand.

The partnership between EGO Foundation and Access Holdings has also been praised as a template for effective public-private collaboration, blending nonprofit innovation with corporate financial capacity.

Beyond its local impact, the programme aligns with key global development priorities, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals on affordable clean energy, decent work, reduced inequalities and climate action.