A Group known as Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), says it has trained over 6000 youths from Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa on entrepreneurship.
The Executive Director, ERA/FoEN, Godwin Ojo, made this known during the 3rd Youth Environmental Camp Meeting held on Wednesday in Benin.
Ojo said the organisation had since 2018 trained over 6000 youths and was targeting 10,000 youths within the next four years.
According to him, over 300 secondary school teachers had also been trained on entrepreneurship, including renewable energy skills for them to pass the knowledge to their students.
Read also: Pan-Atlantic University urges Reporting for Social Change, Trains 20 Journalists
He said manuals had been produced and deployed for training in the over 60 renewable energy school clubs set up across the four states.
“The training will help them in developing their business model, especially in renewable energy entrepreneurship, repairs and installation of solar gadgets as well as fabrication of energy saving cooking stoves.
“The focus is on how to move from the present carbonised to a decarbonised economy.
“There is the need to get the youths prepared for energy transition which government and politicians are currently grappling with and are unable to resolve.
“Youths must stand in the gap and see climate change as an opportunity to channel their efforts towards renewable energy,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), Mr. Ahmed Nagode, said NAPTIN was partnering ERA/FoEN to train youths in the Niger Delta.
According to Nagode, in 2019, about 32 youths were trained on solar installations and 20 other youths were expected to be trained this year.
The theme of the programme was “From Extraction to Education.” (NAN)