Stakeholders on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, converged on Abuja to address Nigeria’s energy deficit and promote wider access to renewable energy.
They met at a High-Level Dissemination Session on the Enhanced Solar Energy Curriculum, with the theme: “Green Skills and Political Will in the Renewable Energy Curriculum Review Initiative in Nigeria”.
The event was organised by INCLUDE, the Knowledge Platform on Inclusive Development Policies in Africa.
The platform supports research, shares knowledge with policymakers and practitioners, and organises international policy dialogues on inclusive development in Africa and the Netherlands.
Executive Director of INCLUDE, Dr Anika Altaf, thanked partners for their support, noting that the initiative would not only address energy challenges but also boost job creation.
Knowledge Manager at INCLUDE, Ms Victoria Manya, said the collaboration was driven by evidence-based research underscoring Africa’s need for a just energy transition.
She explained that such transition would expand energy access, create jobs, and strengthen workforce capacity through quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
Manya gave a background of INCLUDE’s partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), stressing the role of soft infrastructure and strong institutional partnerships.
She also noted the involvement of the House Committee on Renewable Energy, chaired by Rep. Victor Ogene.
The collaboration, she added, involved research studies which supported the development of the curricula, now approved for adoption by TVET institutions nationwide.
Ogene commended INCLUDE, National Board for Technical Education(NBTE), sector experts and academics for their contributions.
She stated that the work had triggered a rethink of Nigeria’s skills architecture with socio-economic benefits, from promoting local content in the green economy to generating jobs.
He reiterated the House Committee’s commitment to laws and policies that support green jobs, workforce development and renewable energy skill acquisition.
NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, said Nigeria’s long-standing partnership with the Netherlands had driven transformation in the education sector.
He noted that the enhanced renewable energy curricula would position Nigeria’s workforce to participate in the fourth industrial revolution.
Bugaje urged government and stakeholders to support the implementation of the curricula to enable Nigeria’s smooth transition to clean energy.
Earlier, Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr Abba Aliyu, said his agency, with government and development partners, had rolled out several programmes to address the country’s energy deficit.
He, however, stressed the need for a capable renewable energy workforce and stronger private sector investments to drive Nigeria’s energy transition agenda.
He commended NBTE for developing the enhanced renewable energy curricula.
A highlight of the session was the symbolic handover of the commemorative curriculum set by Bugaje, followed by the official flag-off of a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) exercise to be conducted by NBTE in partnership with INCLUDE.
The ToT is designed to equip more than 300 TVET trainers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones with the skills to implement the curricula.
According to organisers, the training sessions will hold in Lagos from Aug. 25 to 26 and in Kano from Sept. 2 to 3.
By Abigael Joshua