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Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has commissioned Africa’s first renewable energy college and a Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant in Kogi State.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the commissioning ceremony held at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Tinubu said the Barefoot Renewable Energy College, Osara (BARECKS) would help bridge Africa’s shortage of skilled technical manpower needed for the energy transition.
He said the facility positions Nigeria at the forefront of renewable energy training on the continent.
“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.”
Tinubu said although Nigeria is richly endowed with renewable energy resources, the challenge has been translating those resources into electricity and economic opportunities.
“The difficulty confronting Nigeria, a country abundantly endowed with sunlight, wind, biomass and water, has been converting its endowment into megawatts, and megawatts into jobs,” he said, adding that the new college would help address that challenge.
Reflecting on the pace of the project’s delivery, the President noted that the institution had moved from groundbreaking to completion within two years.
“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.”
According to Tinubu, the college was established to close one of Africa’s biggest energy transition gaps by producing technicians, installers, operators and maintenance professionals with practical expertise in renewable energy technologies.
“Our continent has never suffered a deficit of intention. We have suffered the scarcity of hands trained to execute them,” he said.
He added that graduates would receive internationally recognised certificates, enabling them to secure employment, establish businesses and compete globally.
“A certificate issued in Osara must one day command respect in Nairobi and in Frankfurt,” the President said.
Tinubu also invited development partners, research institutions, international organisations and the private sector to collaborate with the college to expand research, innovation and technical training.
“Nigeria is prepared to host and lead such collaboration,” he added.
The President commended the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, and the Kogi State Government for their roles in delivering the project.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo described the inauguration as evidence of Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable development through investment in human capital.
He said the college would strengthen the country’s energy sector by building technical capacity, attracting investment and creating opportunities for local communities.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, described the institution as a strategic investment in workforce development and job creation.
According to him, achieving Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy depends on developing skilled professionals in sectors such as renewable energy.
He urged the pioneer trainees to uphold high technical and ethical standards while serving as ambassadors of the institution.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, said the college is equipped with smart classrooms, battery energy laboratories, an energy efficiency laboratory, a mini-grid simulation centre and other modern facilities designed to support research and practical training.
He said the institution would produce highly skilled professionals to drive renewable energy research, innovation and development in line with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Anaje, welcomed the project, saying it would equip young Nigerians with technical skills and contribute to national development while creating opportunities for future generations.
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President Tinubu Commissions Africa’s First Renewable Energy College In Kogi
**Says Nigeria has assumed position of pacesetter in renewable energy capacity development across continent
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT, Tuesday, commissioned…
— Stanley Nkwocha (@stanleynkwocha_) August 4, 2026
