By Justina Auta

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s energy sector have called on young innovators to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy.

The stakeholders made the call at a Green Skills bootcamp in Abuja, with a theme, “Spark the Green Economy: Robovolt Brand Reveal and AI-Driven Micro Grid skills.

Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, Director General, Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), said that Nigeria’s future energy security was in its natural resources, and also in the ingenuity of its people.

While highlighting the nation’s abundant energy resources including solar, wind, hydro, biomass, lithium, and nuclear, Abdullahi stressed the need to turn them into accessible, reliable, and affordable energy.

According to him, Nigeria is very rich in mineral resources, including lithium in almost every state.

“The government is taking steps to localise and domesticate our technology.

”Very soon, we will stop importing lithium batteries and solar panels because we will be producing them here,” he said.

He said that the Federal Government had signed investment agreements with LONGi, the world’s largest producer of solar components, to establish factories in Nigeria.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensuring that 30 per cent of Nigeria’s energy mix comes from renewable sources such as solar, hydro and wind.

The DG, therefore, urged the youths and others to drive the country’s energy transition through science-backed creativity, policy-driven action and technology-enabled vision.

Dr Abdul-Quayyum Gbadamosi, CEO, Citibim Nigeria Limited, said studies showed that over 90 per cent of businesses in Nigeria rely on diesel or petrol generators for their daily operations.

“Nigeria really struggles with energy access. Generators are very prevalent in our businesses and households.

“Our team has taken the challenge of trying to provide the solution, which is the mobile solar generator we are launching today.

“During the process of innovation, we struggled with access to local skills. So, we asked ourselves, why not develop local skills in AI, geo-intelligence and virtual reality.

“That is why we are organising this bootcamp, to encourage youths that there are a lot of opportunities in sustainability, in the green revolution, energy access and the digital revolution,” he said.

He said that CitiBIM had developed a Sustainability Dashboard to capture and map assets nationwide, requiring data collection, processing, visualisation and geo-intelligence, creating new pathways for youth careers in green technology.

Dr Oladimeji Olawale, CEO, Sleekabyte Technologies, UK Ltd, said that the RoboVolts project being unveiled targeted to make cheaper, cleaner alternative to diesel and petrol generators.

Olawale said that it would cut cost and boost profits for MSMEs.

“It is not just about powering MSMEs. We are also training people to maintain these solutions, equipping them with green skills that create jobs.

“We are integrating AI into our system to help map generator use in communities, giving government data to phase out fossil fuel generators and transition to sustainable alternatives,” he said.

Musaddiq Mustapha, Personal Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Subnational Infrastructure, said that the unveiling of the mobile affordable solar generator, was a game changer for distributed renewable energy.

Mustapha said that technology alone was not enough, adding that people mattered most.

“The president has made it clear that we must build skills and capacity, training Nigerians in solar installation, battery maintenance, data analysis and green entrepreneurship.

“Every solar unit deployed, every CNG bus converted, every efficient appliance installed is an opportunity to create jobs and lift communities.

“We will build infrastructure that powers growth while protecting the climate; use carbon markets to bring in finance; and train our people for the green economy.

“Nigeria will lead with integrity, evidence, and ambition,” he said.

Other activities included the Robovolt Brand and Product Unveiling; trainings on artificial intelligence, geo-intelligence, virtual reality and sustainable energy solutions. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

By Jessica Dogo

The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has trained 438 civil servants from different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on digital transformation.

The one-day training which held in Abuja in partnership with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), had the theme: “Enabling Digital Government Transformation: Leadership, Training and Citizen-Centric Systems.

William Scheffers, a Director at TG Consulting, who spoke on the topic: “Strategies for IT Training in Digital Government Transformation”, said that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) was a necessity for government officials.

Scheffers said that without ICT skills, governments risked falling behind in delivering efficient and secured services.

“Governments are under pressure to digitise services and improve citizen experience. ICT training ensures that staff can operate, maintain and innovate with new systems.

“Skills gaps lead to inefficiencies, data risks and wasted investments in IT. Trained officials are more adaptable in responding to new policy and citizen needs,” he said.

He said that ICT training challenges in government would lower digital skills, adding that resistance to change undermines ICT upskilling.

According to him, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud adoption will help in shaping ICT training for civil servants.

“It will demand smarter, faster and more practical training,” he said.

Scheffers said that rising cyber threats makes cybersecurity training essential.

He said that cloud adoption required new competencies in security, architecture and operations.

“Data analytics and AI literacy are increasingly demanded in policy design and execution.

“There is a shift toward microlearning, online platforms and hybrid delivery,” he said.

Earlier, the Deputy Director of Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS), Myeongseok Song, said that the training focused on introducing Korea and its government, and sharing knowledge, innovation and achievements over the years.

Song said that Korea’s new strategy was for citizens, enterprises and governments to solve issues together and create new value through a digital platform which connects all their data.

“We just want to talk about the digital, the government, the advanced AI, and eventually, we expect to make more advanced perspective and idea for the government,” he said.

One of the beneficiaries, Adetokunbo Adebola, Head, Data Strategy and Research for the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, described the training as appropriate and timely for civil servants in the country.

Adebola commended the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, for his efforts and the push to bring some programmes that will help the citizens in terms of ICT. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

By Jessica Dogo

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, says Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will increase from 14.19 per cent to 21 per cent by 2030.

Tijani said this at the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill Stakeholders’ Engagement on Thursday in Abuja.

Tijani was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Adeladan Rafiu.

He said that in Q1, Nigeria’s digital economy contributed seven trillion naira to real GDP, representing 14.19 per cent of the 49.34 trillion naira total GDP.

According to him, presently, the sector contributes 16 per cent to 18 per cent of GDP, with well-defined strategies to increase this to 21 per cent by 2030.

“These figures demonstrate both the current impact and the vast potential of a unified, digitally empowered economy driven by robust legislation,” he said.

Speaking on the importance of the bill, the minister said that it sought to establish a robust legal and regulatory framework that would guide the implementation of digital governance in Nigeria.

“We can ensure that this bill provides the solid legal foundation required to drive digital identity, aid governance and overall decision-making for Nigeria,” Tijani said.

The Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kachifu Abdullahi, said that the bill would accelerate digitisation of the Nigerian economy.

“Everybody is contributing to see how we can build a legal and institutional framework for our national digital economy.

“Government is doing a lot in digital literacy to educate our citizens to develop their digital fluency, so that everyone will be part of it and deepen the financial inclusion as well,” he said.

The National Commissioner of Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, in his goodwill message, said that the digital economy sector was the most consistent in growth.

“I am not sure of any other sector where there is consistent progress in a particular sector and contributing highly to the growth of our economy,” he said.

Earlier, the Director-General of Galaxy BackBone (GBB), Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, said that digital economy could not be mentioned without a digital infrastructure and that is where GBB comes in.

“The government has invested a lot in terms of infrastructure, which are there to support the digital economy,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Remi Koleoso/Kadiri Abdulrahman