Ogun boosts access to green energy, trains youths on solar power

As part of efforts to boost access to clean and renewable energy, the Ogun State government has trained and empowered 500 youths drawn from three senatorial districts, on solar panel installation and marketing.

The training is one of the plans of the state government to boost residents’ access to green energy, job opportunities and wealth.

BusinessDay reports that the programme was jointly sponsored by the Ogun State government, Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, ACT Foundation and Access Bank plc in recognition of 2023 International World Youth Day, tagged, “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”.

Speaking on the programme held in Abeokuta on Friday, Biola Odetola, ex-special assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on job-creation and youth empowerment, said “This training is to train young people in Ogun State to become solar panel installation technicians.

Read also: Businesses grounded, residents flee Ogun community as ‘Omo-Onile’ groups clash

“Solar technician basically means solar energy to divert the attention of young Nigerians to the opportunity that surrounds them. We taught 500 youths for one week, how to get into enterprises of this project and also gave them details practical knowledge on how they can begin to bring together solar panels.

“Ogun State under Governor Dapo Abiodun has elevated now 500 people and given them skills to start a venture, so they are on their own and they are independent financially. We expect that in a year, the trainees will be able to empower several other people and the expansion goes on like that.”

Also, Funmi Adeyemi, founder of the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, noted that the training would avail communities and villages in Ogun State that are never connected to the national grid, the opportunity to have access to renewable energy through the selection and training of people across the state.

“This a big opportunity for our people in the state. Renewable energy is growing, it’s one of the areas that is growing, and for us to have had 500 youths, it means we have increased the penetration of green energy to places that have never been connected to the national grid.

Read also: Ogun LG imbroglio spotlights collapse of grassroots governance

“We have trained the youths now and they can develop their own solar panels and sell, and we can connect them to dealers and they become their marketers”, she said.

Qudus Yusuf, permanent secretary, ministry of youth and sports, who noted that the future is renewable and clean energy, urged the youths to improve their training and allowed it to be living skills, pledging government’s support and patronage to some of the trainees afterwards.