By Chesa Chesa
The Youth Wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s renewable energy agenda, describing improved energy access as critical to the country’s industrialisation, economic growth and overall socio-economic transformation.
The National Youth Leader of the APC, Dayo Israel, made the pledge on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the Dr Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship (MAELF), a seven-day residential programme designed to develop young professionals in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The fellowship focuses on renewable energy, energy transition policies, climate action, leadership and governance, while creating opportunities for young innovators to engage policymakers and industry regulators.
Speaking at the event, Israel said the party’s youth wing established the fellowship to complement the Tinubu administration’s efforts to reform the country’s energy sector and promote renewable energy solutions.
He noted that inadequate electricity generation and distribution remain one of Nigeria’s greatest economic challenges, affecting businesses, industries and households across the country.
“We know that energy has been a major problem in Nigeria, and the President has made it clear that fixing Nigeria’s energy challenges is a priority. As a party, we believe we must support the President in achieving his energy vision,” Israel said.
According to him, the administration has made significant investments in renewable energy and the transformation of the nation’s energy ecosystem, making it necessary for young professionals to contribute innovative ideas that would accelerate the reforms.
He explained that the fellowship would provide participants with opportunities to interact with the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the Rural Electrification Agency and other government institutions responsible for energy development in order to build partnerships capable of addressing the country’s power challenges.
Israel also announced a ₦17.5 million grant for fellows, supported by Dr Mustapha Abdullahi and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to assist participants in developing and implementing innovative energy projects.
He said the programme would expose young entrepreneurs to regulators, government agencies and investors who could support their renewable energy enterprises.
“The focus is on renewable energy, biogas and other clean energy solutions. We want the era of ‘Up NEPA’ to become a thing of the past. We want to support the President’s vision for improved power generation and electricity distribution while encouraging new players to join the energy ecosystem,” he said.
Israel added that reliable electricity would complement the Federal Government’s ongoing investments in road infrastructure, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, noting that sustainable power supply remains essential for industrial growth.
“When you build roads, you build industries, but power is at the heart of all these developments. We want to contribute our quota to what the President is doing to make Nigeria a better place and create an environment that will encourage Nigerians in the diaspora to return home,” he said.
One of the fellows and Co-founder of Fosun Solar Energy Nigeria Limited, Nafisat Ovurebu, described energy as one of the most pressing challenges confronting Nigeria, particularly in agriculture and food production.
She said Nigeria possesses abundant energy resources but has struggled to convert those resources into reliable electricity for homes and businesses.
“Our biggest challenge is not the availability of energy resources because Nigeria has them in abundance. The real issue is reliability,” she said.
According to Ovurebu, the country’s energy crisis can only be addressed by improving electricity generation, transmission, distribution and financing while encouraging innovation through initiatives such as the fellowship.
She expressed optimism that the programme would equip young professionals with the knowledge and partnerships needed to develop practical solutions that would strengthen Nigeria’s energy sector and support the country’s transition to cleaner and more sustainable sources of power.
