NASENI Empowers 100 Ekiti Youths With Solar Installation Skills, Equipment
Pan Afric Reporters
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has empowered 100 youths from Ikole Ekiti and surrounding communities in Ekiti State with specialised training, equipment and starter materials for solar installation, electrical maintenance and other related services.
The agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Director, Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, on Friday, September 25, 2026, following the completion of a one-week training programme organised under the NASENI Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Programme (NSAP).
The training focused on modern methods of electrical installation and maintenance, with particular emphasis on solar technology, while aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on skills development, economic inclusion and employment creation.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, NASENI Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, represented by the Secretary to the Agency, Dr. Mrs. Olayinka Komolafe, said the programme was designed to translate technological knowledge into practical and employable skills.
“NASENI shares the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we are proud to contribute through practical training that translates knowledge into employable competence,” Halilu said.
He added that the beneficiaries had been equipped with competencies needed to respond to the growing demand for skilled electrical and maintenance personnel, noting that NASENI was committed to taking technological knowledge beyond laboratories and institutions to grassroots communities.
According to him, “through targeted capacity building, strategic partnerships and promotion of practical technological skills, NASENI seeks to translate knowledge and innovation into tangible solutions that address the needs of Nigerians.”
Halilu said the initiative represented a practical expression of NASENI’s mandate to bring skills and technological knowledge closer to Nigerians, particularly at the grassroots, where they could create economic opportunities, strengthen livelihoods and contribute to sustainable community and national development.
The Chairman of the occasion and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences (FUTES), Iyin Ekiti, Prof. Olugbenga Aribisala, represented by Prince Bayo Francis Fafure, commended NASENI for the empowerment initiative and provision of equipment.
He urged the beneficiaries to put the equipment to productive use, acquire additional knowledge and develop the necessary business skills to turn their newly acquired competencies into sustainable sources of income and wealth creation.
Similarly, High Chief Oluwole Ogunsakin, who represented the community leadership, praised NASENI for selecting indigenes of Ikole Ekiti for the programme and urged the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunity.
“With this training, you have not only been impacted with knowledge; you have also been provided starter kits designed to help you begin the journey to self-reliance and prosperity immediately,” Ogunsakin said.
He urged the beneficiaries to regard the starter kits as instruments for transformation, stressing the need for disciplined practice, responsible use of the equipment and commitment to excellence.
The traditional ruler, HRM Oba Engr. Femi Aribisala, also advised the trainees against selling the equipment provided to them, saying the items would help them establish and grow their businesses in the future.
The monarch further disclosed that the royal fathers would monitor the beneficiaries to ensure that the empowerment packages were properly utilised, while calling on NASENI to establish a mechanism for tracking the progress of the trainees.
The empowerment materials and equipment distributed to the beneficiaries included complete electrical toolboxes, multimeters, screw-driving machines, protective and safety apparel, cordless drilling machines and torque wrenches, among other items.
The initiative, NASENI said, is expected to provide the beneficiaries with practical technical capabilities that can support self-employment, expand access to solar and electrical services, and strengthen economic participation at the grassroots.
