Nigeria's President Tinubu Opens Africa's First Renewable Energy College in Kogi

President Bola Tinubu commissioned the Barefoot Renewable Energy College (BARECKS) and a Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant at the Confluence University of Science and Technology in Osara, Kogi State. Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the president at the ceremony.

The college, modeled on Indian vocational institutes, aims to train technicians, installers, operators and maintenance professionals in solar, wind, biomass and hydrogen technologies, addressing Africa’s skills gap in the energy transition. Tinubu declared Nigeria the continent’s pacesetter in renewable‑energy capacity development, noting the project moved from groundbreaking to completion within two years. Graduates will receive internationally recognised certificates to help convert the region’s abundant renewable resources into megawatts and jobs.