{
  "id": 3484900,
  "title": "Lagos Technicians Call for Skills Development, Stronger Govt-Industry Collaboration to Support Energy Transition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/lagos-technicians-call-for-skills-development-stronger-govt-industry",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T10:20:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/08/26/lagos-technicians-call-for-skills-development-stronger-govt-industry-collaboration-to-support-energy-transition-2/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Technicians working with generators and solar energy in Lagos have urged for a structured plan to help Nigeria transition from traditional genset usage to the expanding solar industry. This plea came during a Solar Technicians Town Hall at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) as part of a four-month research project analyzing the shift from genset-based work to solar jobs in the state. The project, conducted by ODI Global/African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC), De Montfort University (DMU), the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Federation of Informal Workers Organisations of Nigeria (FIWON), aimed to explore opportunities and challenges for workers in Nigeria's energy transition to renewables.\n\nDuring the forum, informal energy workers, solar technicians, and researchers discussed the crucial role informal technicians played in the energy sector and the necessity to prevent their exclusion from the emerging solar business. Researchers noted that many experienced technicians in generator repair and maintenance already have practical skills in electrical, mechanical, and customer service, which could be leveraged to learn solar installation and maintenance.\n\nHowever, participants identified fragmented training routes, lack of recognized certifications, financial obstacles, insufficient opportunities for structured retraining, and regulatory issues as factors that could hinder the transition. The town hall was part of a larger research process aiming to understand how technicians gain solar skills and how existing training systems meet the demands of the evolving energy market. Researchers conducted a rapid labor-market assessment, surveying over 300 technicians across major informal technical clusters in Lagos, examining their backgrounds, entry points into solar work, apprenticeships, informal education, access to formal training and certification, and previous experiences.\n\nDr Eghosa Igudia from De Montfort University highlighted the project's aim to evaluate skills levels, training availability, funding for programs, and the roles of various stakeholders in Lagos' solar energy sector, which is currently led by informal workers. He emphasized that technicians should be recognized as crucial stakeholders, whose practical experiences and collaboration with others can shape policies and programs for the solar workforce's development.\n\nThe project aligns with the African Cities Research Consortium’s Theory of Change, which focuses on mobilizing citizens and forming coalitions to influence reforms and strengthen state capacity. Dr Tim Kelsall of ODI Global and ACRC provided the political-economic and research framework for the initiative. Experts from the University of Lagos and the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation contributed technical and renewable-energy expertise, while FIWON facilitated access to technicians and other workers in Lagos' informal and semi-formal energy economy.\n\nThe town hall facilitated direct dialogue between genset and solar energy technicians on the future of their livelihoods and the growth of the renewable-energy workforce. Participants stressed the need for training programs that acknowledge technicians' existing knowledge while providing additional skills for safe and efficient solar installations and maintenance. The research team will use findings from the town hall, technician survey, interviews, and training-program mapping to create recommendations for policymakers, industry, and development partners. The next step involves a multi-stakeholder engagement workshop to explore practical measures for addressing identified skills gaps, improving training routes, strengthening certification systems, increasing access to financing, and enhancing coordination among institutions involved in solar skills development. The researchers also plan to produce a policy brief and a narrative report capturing the experiences and viewpoints of informal technicians. In the long term, they aim to establish a functional coalition focused on solar skills development, potentially supporting genset-to-solar reskilling programs, enhanced apprenticeship systems, and suitable certification and licensing frameworks.",
  "summary": "Fadekemi Ajakaiye Generator and solar energy technicians in Lagos have called for a coordinated framework to support the transition from the traditional genset economy into the rapidly growing solar energy",
  "key_points": [
    "Lagos technicians urge structured plan for energy transition from gensets to solar",
    "Informal energy workers identify fragmented training routes and certification issues",
    "Researchers aim to create recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}