The commissioning of Africa’s first Barefoot Renewable Energy College in Kogi State signals a pivotal shift in Nigeria’s energy strategy—one that prioritises human capital over imported technology.
Some government projects are completed, commissioned, and soon forgotten. Others carry an idea far greater than the building itself. The Barefoot Renewable Energy College in Osara, Kogi State, belongs firmly to the latter category.
When Vice President Kashim Shettima recently commissioned the college, it marked the culmination of a vision that began with its groundbreaking in August 2024. But beyond the ceremony lies a more profound narrative—one about Nigeria’s energy future, the power of human capital, and the imperative of preparing citizens for an economy increasingly dependent on renewable energy.
A New Chapter at the Energy Commission
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Dr Mustapha Abdullahi as Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in 2023, bringing to the role extensive experience in energy, engineering, technology, and renewable development.
Since assuming office, Dr Abdullahi has repositioned the Commission as an institution focused on practical interventions capable of transforming lives, moving beyond policy documents and technical meetings. His approach emphasises renewable energy, energy efficiency, research and development, technical capacity, innovation, partnerships, and the localisation of energy technology.
The Barefoot Renewable Energy College draws inspiration from the Barefoot College movement in India, which demonstrated that people from rural and underserved communities could acquire practical renewable energy skills and become agents of transformation in their own communities.
The underlying philosophy is clear: energy knowledge should not belong exclusively to engineers in major cities or experts in laboratories. A young Nigerian in a rural community should be able to learn how to install and maintain solar systems.
From Energy Consumers to Energy Entrepreneurs
Perhaps the most compelling possibility is the opportunity to reshape how young Nigerians perceive the energy sector. For decades, the electricity industry has been viewed as the preserve of government agencies, large corporations, and highly specialised professionals.
Renewable energy can change that paradigm. A young graduate can become a solar entrepreneur. A technician can establish a solar installation company. A small business owner can provide renewable energy services to communities underserved by the national grid.
This is where energy policy meets employment creation—a convergence that holds particular significance for a nation grappling with youth unemployment.
A Sustainable Vision for Nigeria
Dr Abdullahi’s renewable energy agenda connects energy to the broader question of national development. When a rural health centre has electricity, lives can be saved. When a small business operates without spending a significant portion of its income on diesel and petrol, its prospects improve. When farmers have reliable energy for processing and storage, agricultural losses diminish. When industries have dependable power, productivity rises.
In essence, energy is intertwined with virtually every aspect of development.
President Tinubu’s administration has placed the concept of Renewed Hope at the heart of its development agenda. But hope must ultimately become tangible. For the Nigerian who wants electricity to run a business, hope means reliable power.
The Barefoot Renewable Energy College reflects the growing importance attached to renewable energy, technical skills, and Nigeria’s transition towards a more diversified and sustainable energy future. Its significance lies not merely in its location in Osara or its distinction as Africa’s first institution of its kind, but in its potential to produce a generation of skilled citizens capable of driving the country’s renewable energy transformation.
For Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, the challenge now is to ensure the vision continues to grow beyond the commissioning ceremony. For the Federal Government, the responsibility is to provide the institutional support required for success. For the private sector, there is an opportunity to invest in the human capital and technologies of a new energy economy.
And for Nigerians, particularly young Nigerians, there is a message worth heeding: The future of energy is changing. Nigeria must not merely watch that future arrive—Nigeria must have the people capable of building it.
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Emma Isa is a Public Affairs Analyst and Management Consultant.
