President says Nigeria now leads Africa in renewable energy capacity development as Kogi hosts the continent’s first renewable energy college

President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria has become Africa’s pacesetter in renewable energy capacity development following the inauguration of the continent’s first Africa Renewable Energy College and a Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara.

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Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President commissioned the Barefoot Renewable Energy College on Tuesday, describing the institution as a transformative investment designed to equip Nigerians with practical skills needed to drive the country’s clean energy transition while creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, titled “President Tinubu Commissions Africa’s First Renewable Energy College in Kogi.”

Tinubu said the college addresses one of Nigeria’s longstanding structural challenges by converting the country’s abundant renewable resources into economic opportunities.

“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,” the President said.

“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.”

The President noted that governments should ultimately be judged by the industries they establish and the livelihoods they create, adding that the successful completion of the project within two years marked a departure from Nigeria’s history of abandoned public infrastructure.

“As a nation, we have become used to foundation stones that outlast the men who laid them,” Tinubu said.

“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 described the institution as a deliberate response to what he called Africa’s biggest obstacle in the energy transition, arguing that the continent’s challenge lies not in ambition but in the shortage of skilled professionals capable of implementing renewable energy projects.

“Our continent has never suffered a deficit of intention. We have suffered the scarcity of hands trained to execute them,” he said.

According to the President, the college will train technicians, installers, operators and maintenance specialists with practical expertise in renewable energy technologies, while graduates will earn internationally recognised certificates that could open employment and entrepreneurial opportunities both within and outside Nigeria.

“A certificate issued in Osara must one day command respect in Nairobi and in Frankfurt,” Tinubu added, as he invited development partners, private investors, research institutions and international organisations to collaborate with the institution.

He also commended the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, and Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for their roles in delivering the project.

Governor Ododo described the inauguration as evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable development through investment in human capital, saying the institution would strengthen the country’s energy sector while attracting investment and creating opportunities for surrounding communities.

He praised the Federal Government’s emphasis on the knowledge economy as part of broader efforts to address Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges.

Udeh described the college as a strategic investment in workforce development, innovation and job creation, saying it aligns with the Federal Government’s ambition of building a knowledge-driven economy capable of supporting Nigeria’s target of becoming a $1 trillion economy.

The minister urged the institution’s pioneer trainees to uphold high technical and ethical standards as ambassadors of the college.

Providing further details, Abdullahi said the facility is equipped with smart classrooms, battery energy laboratories, a mini-grid simulation centre, energy efficiency laboratories and other modern training infrastructure designed to support advanced renewable energy research and technical education.

He added that the college would produce highly skilled professionals to support Nigeria’s renewable energy ambitions under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr Ahmed Anaje, welcomed the project, saying it would equip young Nigerians with practical technical skills while contributing to national development. He also thanked the Federal Government for locating the pioneering institution in Kogi State.

The inauguration comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to diversify its energy mix, expand electricity access and develop a skilled workforce capable of supporting investments in solar power, green hydrogen, mini-grids and other clean energy technologies.

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The establishment of the college reflects the country’s broader strategy to position itself as a regional hub for renewable energy innovation and technical capacity development.