…Barefoot Renewable Energy College Will Power Nigeria’s Energy Future – Minister Udeh
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned Africa’s first Barefoot Renewable Energy College (BARECKS) and the Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant in Osara, Kogi State, describing the projects as strategic investments in human capital development, renewable energy and Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge-driven economy.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the inauguration held at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, the President said the projects would help bridge Africa’s shortage of skilled technical manpower in the renewable energy sector while positioning Nigeria as the continent’s leader in renewable energy capacity development.
“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,” the President said.
Tinubu noted that although Nigeria is richly endowed with renewable energy resources, the challenge has been converting those resources into electricity and economic opportunities.
He said the new college was established to address the country’s shortage of skilled technicians by producing renewable energy installers, operators, maintenance professionals and other technical personnel equipped with globally recognised certifications.
Reflecting on the project’s completion, the President said, “Two years ago, we stood on this ground for the groundbreaking of this institution… Today, we stand before a world-class edifice, completed to international standards.”
He urged development partners, research institutions and the private sector to collaborate with the college to expand research, innovation and technical training, assuring that Nigeria was ready to lead such partnerships.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, described the commissioning as a major demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to innovation-led industrialisation, job creation and sustainable national development.
According to the minister, the projects reaffirm the government’s resolve to build a knowledge-driven economy where innovation, science and technology serve as catalysts for economic prosperity.
He said the Barefoot Renewable Energy College represents a strategic investment in technical skills development, designed to produce globally competitive solar technicians, mini-grid operators, renewable energy installers, maintenance specialists, energy auditors and clean-energy entrepreneurs.
Dr. Udeh added that the Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant would position Nigeria at the forefront of emerging clean-energy technologies by providing a platform for advanced research, technology demonstration, capacity building and future industrial applications.
He expressed confidence that BARECKS would evolve into Nigeria’s premier centre of excellence for renewable energy technical education and a regional hub for Africa, promoting youth empowerment, technology transfer, local content development, enterprise creation and innovation.
The minister said the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology would continue to provide the policy support, strategic partnerships and enabling environment required to sustain the institution and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in renewable energy technologies.
He commended President Tinubu for his commitment to innovation-driven national transformation, appreciated Vice President Shettima for representing the President, and praised Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, for their roles in delivering the projects.
Governor Ododo described the inauguration as evidence that Nigeria was advancing towards sustainable development through investments in human capital, noting that the college would strengthen the country’s renewable energy sector, attract investments and create employment opportunities.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the ECN, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, said the institution is equipped with smart classrooms, battery energy laboratories, a mini-grid simulation centre, energy efficiency laboratories and other modern facilities to train highly skilled renewable energy professionals.
The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Anaje, welcomed the project, saying it would equip young Nigerians with valuable technical skills and contribute significantly to national development.