May 21, (THEWILL) – The European Union (EU) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) are set to collaborate with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) to boost skills and capacity in Nigeria’s power sector for enhanced service delivery.
Under the “Enhancing Vocational Training Delivery for the Nigerian Power Sector” project jointly funded by the EU and AFD, NAPTIN will receive up to $46 million to help in providing power sector stakeholders with a workforce whose skills have been developed and capacities adapted to their needs.
At the 10th Steering Committee Meeting of the project held at NAPTIN Headquarters in Abuja, on April 18, 2024, stakeholders reviewed the progress made by the initiative, including upscaling the training catalogues; developing, renovating and equipping NAPTIN’s training centres with state-of-the-art standards and equipment; and enhancing the corporate governance and business model of NAPTIN.
Chaired by the representative of the Federal Ministry of Power, Ms. Victoria Adeosun, the Steering Committee Meeting was attended by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning; Bureau for Public Enterprises; Transmission Company of Nigeria; Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission; and the funding partners, AFD and EU Delegation.
In what NAPTIN’s Director General, Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, described as a “very important and historic meeting”, members of the Steering Committee congratulated all project stakeholders on the success so far recorded in its implementation. Ms Adeosun also commended the continuous support provided by AFD and the EU, which she said had enabled a smooth implementation of the project.
The Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Massimo De Luca, noted that considering that power is a fundamental and key aspect of the EU’s involvement in Nigeria, “it is very good to see the progress made by NAPTIN on strengthening the offer on vocational training, which is part of a bigger and wider ambition of the EU Delegation to make a difference in the life of young Nigerian girls and boys.”
As AFD is specifically providing financing for the construction works, the Country Director was pleased to visit the far-advanced development at the headquarters site showcasing workshops, students and hostels, saying: “It is very nice to be able to walk around state-of-the-art buildings and see the amazing progress done in the past few months.”
More specifically, the fact that the building takes into account gender inclusion and access to people with disabilities is key and in line with AFD’s requirements to make sure that every Nigerian can be trained by NAPTIN.
NAPTIN is set to inaugurate the new development at its new headquarters before the end of 2024.
With the biggest hydropower producer and largest oil reserves in the ECOWAS region, Nigeria also offers great potential for renewable energy. In order to have these resources managed by the most skilled workers, NAPTIN was established as part of a larger framework for a robust training programme for the power sector. It aims to continuously develop the capacity of the power sector personnel and coordinate training activities across the country and the continent.
About the Author
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
