Nigeria’ll lead Africa’s renewable energy revolution, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu announced that Nigeria is positioned to become a leader in renewable energy development across Africa. This declaration came during the commissioning of the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and the Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant at the Confluence University of Science and Technology in Osara, Kogi State.

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This is the first institution of its kind on the African continent, modelled on the celebrated vocational colleges of India that turned unlettered grandmothers into solar engineers. If that method could light the villages of Rajasthan, it can light the settlements of Kogi, Ondo and Cross River. Nigeria assumes, from today, the position of pacesetter in renewable energy capacity development across Africa.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu stated that the college addresses a critical challenge by enabling the conversion of Nigeria's abundant sunlight, wind, biomass, and water resources into electricity and subsequently, jobs. He noted that the institution is modeled after successful vocational colleges in India, aiming to train individuals to become solar engineers and technicians.

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As a nation, we have become used to foundation stones that outlast the men who laid them. Two years ago, we stood on this ground for the groundbreaking of this institution, with red earth underfoot and the ambition of a few determined Nigerians for company. Today, we stand before a world-class edifice, completed to international standards.

Tinubu expressed satisfaction with the project's rapid completion, contrasting it with Nigeria's history of delayed public works. He emphasized that the college directly tackles Africa's energy transition bottleneck, which he identified not as a lack of ambition but a shortage of skilled personnel. The college is expected to produce professionals with practical expertise in renewable energy technologies, capable of earning internationally recognized certificates.

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Our continent has never suffered a deficit of intention. We have suffered the scarcity of hands trained to execute them.

The President called for collaboration with development partners, the private sector, and international organizations to support the college's mission. He envisioned that certificates issued in Osara would eventually gain global respect, fostering employment and entrepreneurship opportunities worldwide.

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A certificate issued in Osara must one day command respect in Nairobi and in Frankfurt.