The Federal Government under the Presidential Power Initiative, inaugurated the Siemens Energy Education and Development training facility in Abeokuta, with plans to train no fewer than 6,000 energy professionals to boost capacity in Nigeria’s power sector.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Director of Human Resources Management, the Federal Ministry of Power, Samaila Nasiru, said the event represented more than the opening of a facility.
He described the event as a strong commitment to the future of Nigeria’s energy sector, stressing that the mandate of the Presidential Power Initiative is focused on the modernisation and expansion of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.
According to him, while significant investments had been made in grid transmission and distribution under Phase One of the Presidential Power Initiative being undertaken by the Federal Government Power Company and other partners, infrastructure alone could not, however, resolve the sector’s challenges without deliberate capacity building.
Nasiru noted that the five-year programme is designed to train 6,000 energy professionals across the country adding that the initiative would help build local technical capacity and support long-term sustainability in the power sector.
He further disclosed that partnerships with regulatory bodies such as the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency would enable participants to obtain internationally recognised certifications.
Earlier,the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the FGN Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, said the SEED initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s power sector through structured human capital development and technical capacity building.
Anuwe described the programme as a strategic investment that aligned with the goals of the Presidential Power Initiative to modernise and expand power infrastructure for sustainable national development.
He emphasised that sustainable progress in the sector depends on skilled professionals who can efficiently operate, maintain, and optimise transmission and distribution networks nationwide.
“Today’s event is not only about the launch of a training initiative. It is about investing in people. It is about building the technical capacity, professional expertise, and institutional knowledge required to sustain Nigeria’s energy transformation for generations to come,” he said.
He explained that the programme would be implemented across several training centres nationwide in collaboration with institutions such as Council for Regulation of Engineering (COREN), Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Ecowas Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE).
According to him, the initiative would also promote local content development by ensuring that technical skills and operational expertise are embedded within Nigeria’s workforce and institutions.
Similarly, Managing Director of Siemens Energy in Nigeria, Sheu Suleman, said the initiative would support the Federal Government’s efforts to reform and reposition the power sector.
He noted that the Presidential Power Initiative remains central to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda for the energy sector, adding that the programme would improve technical capacity and reduce operational losses across transmission networks.
Suleman disclosed that the training would be conducted in Abeokuta, Offa, Ibadan, Ayede, Birnin Kebbi, and Sokoto, with plans to establish additional centres in collaboration with the Federal Government.
Also speaking, the Country Director of GIZ in Nigeria, Markus Wagner, said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s power sector reform goals and would help integrate global standards and quality assurance into energy training programmes across the country.
He further explained that key institutions are working to integrate industry-approved standards and quality assurance measures into the training programme.
