Posted by Chinenye on Wed 05th Aug, 2026 - tori.ng
President Tinubu has unveiled a major renewable energy institution aimed at building a new generation of skilled technicians and advancing Nigeria’s clean energy ambitions.
(VP Kashim Shettima at The Ceremony And other officials. Photo by Aliyu Bello Bature)
President Tinubu has commissioned the Barefoot Renewable Energy College in Osara, Kogi State, hailing it as a world-class institution that establishes Nigeria as a continental frontrunner in renewable energy capacity development across Africa.
The President, represented by Vice-President Shettima at the commissioning ceremony held at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, simultaneously unveiled the Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant situated within the facility.
The college was established to address Nigeria's persistent difficulty in translating its substantial natural endowments including abundant sunlight, wind, biomass, and water resources into energy generation capacity and employment creation.
Despite possessing these resources in abundance, the nation has faced structural challenges in converting them into productive megawatts and subsequent job opportunities.
The new institution is designed to eliminate this capacity gap.
BARECKS represents Africa's inaugural facility of this category, drawing its model from vocational institutions in India that equipped individuals lacking formal educational credentials to become proficient solar energy technicians.
The President stated that if such methodologies successfully energised rural communities in India's Rajasthan region, identical approaches could illuminate settlements across Nigeria's Kogi, Ondo, and Cross River states.
He noted that Nigeria now assumes a leadership position in continental renewable energy workforce development.
The college's completion within two years represented a marked departure from Nigeria's historical pattern of project delays.
The President emphasised that the facility was constructed to international standards and fulfils the critical imperative of closing Africa's skills deficit in energy transition by producing technically competent personnel in renewable energy sectors.
Graduates will receive internationally recognised credentials enabling them to secure employment, establish independent enterprises, and compete in global labour markets.
The President underscored that qualifications conferred in Osara must eventually carry equivalent recognition in international centres including Nairobi and Frankfurt.
The President invited development partners, private sector organisations, international bodies, and research institutions to engage in collaborative research, innovation, and technical training initiatives with the college, positioning Nigeria as prepared to host and coordinate such partnerships.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria were commended for advancing the project from conception through completion.
The Kogi State Governor received recognition for cultivating the institutional environment that facilitated the facility's establishment.
State leadership characterised the commissioning as demonstrating Nigeria's commitment to sustainable development through human capital investment.
The college is anticipated to strengthen the energy sector through technical capacity building, investment attraction, and livelihood generation for surrounding communities.
The Minister described the undertaking as a substantial investment in human capital development and employment creation, stressing that achieving Nigeria's one-trillion-dollar economic ambition necessitates cultivating skilled professionals across strategic sectors, particularly renewable energy.
The Director-General noted that the institution represents Nigeria's first facility of its classification, equipped with advanced training infrastructure including smart learning environments, battery energy laboratories, mini-grid simulation facilities, and energy efficiency training centres.