PRESIDENT TINUBU COMMISSIONS AFRICA’S FIRST BAREFOOT RENEWABLE ENERGY COLLEGE IN KOGI
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has officially commissioned the Barefoot Renewable Energy College of Science and Technology, BARECKS, at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, CUSTECH, Osara, Kogi State.
The President was represented at the ceremony by Vice President Kashim Shettima, GCON.
BARECKS is the flagship initiative of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, ECN, under the leadership of Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi. It is described as Africa’s first purpose-built institution dedicated to practical training, innovation, research, and workforce development in renewable energy.
Modeled after the globally recognized Barefoot College, the institution is designed to democratize access to clean energy education. It offers practical renewable energy training open to all Nigerians, irrespective of academic background, to equip citizens with skills to contribute to the country’s clean energy ecosystem.
The college is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to support learning and research. These include renewable energy laboratories, solar and photovoltaic workshops, battery storage and power electronics labs, mini-grid simulation platforms, wind and bioenergy training facilities, electric vehicle charging modules, smart classrooms, and energy efficiency laboratories.
In a statement, the Energy Commission of Nigeria expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, and all partners and stakeholders for their support in bringing the project to fruition.
Officials say the commissioning of BARECKS marks the beginning of a new phase in Nigeria’s renewable energy drive, one expected to shape the sector’s workforce and innovation landscape for decades to come.
