A group of experts from the SHINE partnership travel to Nigeria for one week, with the purpose of understanding the context in Nigeria in the solar industry, meeting policy makers and key industry players as well as having insightful session with VET managers, trainers and students to draw the general panorama and work on a a national roadmap for greening TVET in the solar industry.
On April 15th, representatives from the SHINE partnership touched down in Abuja for a week-long journey delving into the Nigerian context. Through engaging debates, intensive working sessions, interviews, and company visits, they aimed to grasp the state-of-art and the current trends of the solar energy sector in Nigeria: understanding the training needs of companies, regional and national strategies in the sector, existing educational offerings, and their shortcomings. The week concluded with proposals, recommendations, and a roadmap for advancing vocational training in the field of solar energy.
The expert group, comprising representatives from education, business, research, and government from Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, the Netherlands, and Spain, organized a comprehensive agenda. They interviewed policymakers from national government bodies and were welcomed by the Chairmen of the House Committee of Renewable energies and climate change. They interacted with key industry players, and other small and medium-sized companies in the field. They also visited vocational training centers, analyzed curricula, teaching methodologies, and interviewed teachers and students to understand their aspirations and motivations.
The week culminated in the collection of conclusions and the drafting of a roadmap, soon to be ready for key stakeholders. This roadmap will shape the teacher training program and curriculum to be developed and piloted as the main outcomes of this project.
Key conclusions reached by the team were:
The informal sector is strong, widespread, resilient and dynamic, playing a significant role in the country’s economy, as in the rest of Africa. It is crucial to develop strategies that add value, consistency and reliability. There’s a pressing need for short, concise, job-oriented training and certifications. These programs should provide job security, equip technicians with valid tools, and address the immediacy of the market.
Solar energy emerges as a clear, reliable, and stable alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based energy access. It presents a viable and effective solution to the electricity access challenges faced by Nigerian communities. Additionally, it offers a value proposition to address the technical problems of the country’s central electrification system, which fails to meet the population’s needs and relies heavily on generators and fossil fuels.
The enabling environment is ripe. There is momentum, both nationally and internationally, to invest in solar energy and train technicians for its design, installation, and maintenance. Policies are in place, financing is available, government agencies are specifically working on mini-grid installations, and all stakeholders have a clear vision for supporting this sector.
There are numerous initiatives in this field working to create a curriculum that adapts to market and population needs. Collaboration among these stakeholders is essential. Unity is strength, and it’s evident from this visit that SHINE should direct its efforts and experiences towards collaborating with existing initiatives on the ground.
These initial findings lay the groundwork for the upcoming stages of the SHINE project, which involve collaborating on the creation of national greening TVET roadmaps in Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda, developing tailor-made capacity building programs for trainers and VET staff vas well as tailoring curriculum development to the needs of the solar industry.