Though solar energy promises to propel fair access to electricity and green jobs in Nigeria, the current training scene is still scattered and out of line with industry growth. Nigerian environmentalist and writer Nnimmo Bassey has said that “you cannot solve a problem with the same mindset that created it; we must transform our approach from extraction to regeneration.” Many present Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs, however, have out-of-date materials, lack hands-on learning, and are not informed by industry demand or entrepreneurial paths. The INCLUDE Knowledge Platform said in its policy brief on youth employment and skills development that “technical training risks becoming a dead end rather than a springboard into decent work” (INCLUDE, 2022) without standardized curricula and trustworthy certification systems. These disparities compromise not only young Nigerians’ employment but also the more general energy transformation. Dealing with them calls for a nationally coordinated, competency-based curriculum developed by multi-stakeholder cooperation that combines technical mastery with entrepreneurial acumen.

Working with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) , INCLUDE Knowledge Platform is facilitating the standardization of the Solar Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum in a deliberate attempt to increase Nigeria’s renewable energy workforce. This project highlights the increasing demand for inclusive skills development and industry-relevant training in support of Nigeria’s just energy transformation.

The process of curriculum review has been set up as two workshop clusters:

• Aimed at the National Diploma (ND) Renewable Energy curriculum revision and pre-critiques for the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Solar PV and Solar Thermal, Cluster 1 will be held from  the 6th April–12 April 2025.
• Dedicated to the critique and validation of National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Solar PV Installation & Maintenance (Levels 4 & 5) and last critiques for HND Solar PV and Solar Thermal programs, Cluster 2 will be held from 20th April –26 April 2025.

Held in Abuja , these seminars gather a varied mix of stakeholders including representatives from academia (Ahmadu Bello University, FUT Minna, NDA Kaduna etc), industry and private sector (DITW Energy, Starship Solar, Afam Thermal Power Plant, Prime Tech), government agencies (JAMB, NASENi, NBTI), and professional bodies (COREN). Supported by NBTE’s Curriculum Development Department, the sessions seek to guarantee that the solar training programs are both technically sound and sensitive to the reality of Nigeria’s energy scene.

This project is made possible by a co-funding initiative between the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), as well as the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria. This project emphasizes the importance of ongoing multi stakeholder collaboration in developing locally relevant, evidence-based solutions.

At INCLUDE, we think in terms of enhancing local leadership, creating cooperative bridges, and making sure that curricular change captures the views of learners, teachers, and practitioners equally.

Visit our Standardizing TVET Curriculum for Renewable Energy in Nigeria programme page to monitor this work or get engaged in upcoming policy discussions.