From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) have launched an initiative to integrate renewable energy curricula into technical education in the country to boost Nigeria’s green economy.
The initiative, which is led by the NBTE, is geared towards the overhaul of the National Diploma (ND) programme in renewable energy and the development of two new Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes—one in solar photovoltaic (PV) and another in solar thermal technologies.
The move, which is supported by the federal legislature, a Non-Governmental Organization, INCLUDE Knowledge Platform, African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL), as well as the Government of the Netherlands, is intended to give a significant boost to the country’s energy transition and its wider strategy for job
creation and industrialisation.
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas at the inception of the 10th Assembly, set up a standing committee on renewable energy to spearhead policies, track progress, and promote development that attracts investment and sustains renewable energy technology in the country.
The Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, Victor Ogene, said the parliament recently adopted a motion that makes it mandatory for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to transition to renewable energy for their power needs.
Consequently, Ogene said this has made it imperative to bridge the knowledge and skills gap in the sector.
The Executive Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje, while speaking on a curriculum workshop in Abuja, noted that solar energy is a necessity in the industrialisation of the country and expanded access to power.
Bugaje said, “Nigeria has less than 30 watts of electricity available per capita, and over 60% of grid power is consumed by just two states–Lagos and Ogun. If we’re serious about industrialisation and expanding access, decentralised solar energy is not just a solution; it’s a necessity.”
He explained that Nigeria’s rich deposits of high-purity silica, particularly in Daura, Kastina State and Jigawa, provide a strategic advantage for the local production of solar PV cells. Nonetheless, Bugaje noted that harnessing it will require a technically skilled workforce trained in solid-state physics, hybrid energy systems, solar cooling, and thermal electricity generation.