Energy stakeholders in sub-Saharan Africa have endorsed the National Innovation Diploma (NID) set to be issued by Asteven Energy Institute (AEI).
The stakeholders endorsed the NID on Thursday in Lagos.
Asteven Energy Institute made a presentation highlighting the benefits of the NID certification before a high powered stakeholders at the meeting
The stakeholders agreed that for progress to be made in the renewable energy sector in Africa, there was the need to develop and reinforce local indigenous manpower.
NID was earlier presented on March 16 to Nigerian energy stakeholders to highlight the importance of the certification.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Asteven Energy Institute, Dr Sunny Akpoyibo, said that the institution was established to contribute to youth empowerment.
Akpoyibo also said that he had a vision of providing local expert and technical manpower resource for the solar energy industry in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Prof. Magnus Onuoha, the Rector of the institute, said certification had become necessary because of the increase and importance of solar technologies in Nigeria, as part of the energy transition plans.
Onuoha also explained the processes the NID curriculum had passed through.
According to him, the curriculum passed through a two-year assessment and verification process including meetings with companies and practitioners in the sector, analysis and studies of industry challenges and assessment of manpower gaps.
He said that the process was overseen by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the statutory government agency with the right to license innovation enterprise centers and establish national skills qualification frameworks; both of which were approved and licensed for the institute.
He added that the Asteven Energy Institute was the only legally authorized solar skills vocational training center in Nigeria and the only only center approved to undertake the National Innovation certificate as a diploma course.
Pledging his support to the NID program, Mr Herve Azemtsa, the Managing Director of S2 Services, an integrated sustainability organization in Douala, Cameroon, said that renewable energy was the way forward.
Azemtsa said all efforts should be expended to ensure that the requisite skills were locally available and dynamic.
Azemtsa, who is also a steering committee member of the African Renewable Energy Alliance, expressed his eagerness to partner with Asteven Energy Institute to see that the NID training module would be replicated in Cameroon.
Also, Ms Golda Williams, the Executive Secretary, Renewable Energy Association of Sierra Leone, said energy transition provides an opportunity, which Africa must take up for local indigenous capacity.
Williams, a founding member of the West Africa Renewable Energy Alliance, recommended the establishment of more vocational training centers by the institute.
She called for more awareness to ensure that students from other African countries utilize the sponsorship and skills development opportunity provided by the institute.
Another stakeholder, Mary Njue of Epicentre Africa, from Nairobi, Kenya, commended the efforts of the institute in taking the initiative to build skills within the sector.
Njue also pledged her support to provide expertise in the area of solar water pumping.
Mr Olivef Drucke, an international renewable energy consultant, who has worked for several years in Africa, called for a robust curriculum.
Dr Segun Adaju, the Executive Director, Programs and Partnership of AEI, noted that there was a huge gap in solar energy technology workforce.
Adaju said the institute was open for international collaborations.
Commendations also poured in from other representatives across Africa including; Prof. Gonnafela Letiole from South Africa, Mr Robert Donkor from Ghana and Dr Paul Abolo of Ecologistics Nigeria, amongst others.
