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Samuel Ogidan
The Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewable energy agenda, describing improved power supply as critical to Nigeria’s economic growth, industrialisation and job creation.
The pledge was made on Monday by the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, at the opening of the Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship (MAELF) in Abuja.
The seven-day residential fellowship is designed to equip young professionals in Nigeria’s energy sector with knowledge and leadership skills in renewable energy, energy transition, climate action, governance and public policy.
Speaking at the event, Israel said the fellowship was created to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to transform Nigeria’s energy sector by preparing a new generation of innovators and policymakers.
According to him, inadequate electricity supply remains one of the country’s biggest development challenges, making it imperative for all stakeholders to support ongoing reforms in the sector.
“Energy has remained one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges. The President has made it clear that fixing the country’s energy sector is one of his priorities, and as a party, we believe we must support him in achieving that vision,” he said.
Israel noted that the fellowship would provide participants with opportunities to engage directly with key institutions, including the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the Renewable Energy Agency and other government agencies, with the aim of fostering partnerships and practical solutions to the nation’s energy challenges.
He also announced a ₦17.5 million grant for participants, supported by Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi and the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alongside other mentorship and enterprise development opportunities.
According to him, the fellowship will encourage innovation in renewable energy, including solar power and biogas technologies, while helping young entrepreneurs develop sustainable energy solutions.
“Our goal is to make power shortages a thing of the past by supporting the President’s vision for improved power generation and distribution. We also want to bring more young innovators into the energy sector and create opportunities for them to work with regulators and policymakers,” he said.
Israel added that reliable electricity remains fundamental to industrialisation, infrastructure development and economic prosperity, stressing that improved energy access would strengthen businesses, attract investment and encourage more Nigerians in the diaspora to return home.
Also speaking, one of the fellows and Co-founder of Fosun Solar Energy Nigeria Limited, Nafisat Ovurebu, said Nigeria’s energy challenge was not a lack of natural resources but the inability to efficiently generate, transmit, distribute and finance electricity.
She observed that while the country possesses abundant energy resources, improving reliability across the entire electricity value chain remains essential to delivering stable power supply.
Ovurebu expressed optimism that initiatives such as the fellowship would help nurture innovative ideas and partnerships capable of addressing Nigeria’s long-standing energy challenges.
