FG pledges Steady rural power supply,trains youths on renewable energy

FG pledges steady rural power supply, trains youths on renewable energy

 

The Federal Government has restated its commitment to boosting electricity supply in rural communities as part of efforts to expand access, create jobs and drive economic growth through renewable energy.

 

Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said at the weekend in Maiduguri that the agency has begun training 1,500 young Nigerians on renewable energy technologies. The initiative, under the Energising Education Programme, kicked off with 100 students from the University of Maiduguri as the pioneer beneficiaries.

 

Aliyu explained that the programme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which targets underserved communities to improve livelihoods and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

 

“This requires more than infrastructure deployment. It calls for a new generation of young Nigerians who are technically trained in the operation, maintenance, and financing of renewable energy projects,” he said.

 

The REA boss noted that participants are receiving hands-on training using facilities already deployed by the agency nationwide. He added that Abuja will host the maiden National Renewable Energy Forum on September 14 and 15, with all states expected to participate.

 

He said Borno State was chosen as the launch point because of its solar panel assembly plants, which support the government’s push for local manufacturing of renewable energy components.

 

Head of the Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP), Oluyemi Akinyulere, disclosed that 15 universities will benefit in the first phase, with each institution training about 100 students in world-class centres before the programme expands to other schools.

 

One of the trainees, Amina Yusuf, a final-year engineering student, described the scheme as “a rare opportunity for young people to gain practical knowledge that can help us build careers and even start our own renewable energy businesses.”