Asteven Energy Institute solar energy technology certification gets vote of confidence from Nigerian renewable energy entities

By Wallace Mawire [caption id="attachment_97512" align="alignnone" width="706"] L-R) Dr Segun Adaju, President, Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) ; Mrs Toritseju Okanlawon, Member, Crenstar Renewable Energy Nigeria (CREN); Mr Sam Nwosu, Secretary General of Crenstar Renewable Energy Nigeria; Mr Stephen Ipalibo Lawson, Member 'CREN'and Executive Consultant, Environment Africa and Engr Ebami Arogboritse, Registrar, Asteven Energy Institute as Renewable Energy Associations paid a courtesy and partnership development visit to Asteven Energy Institute, Ogun State, Nigeria.[/caption] The Asteven Energy Institute has received a vote of confidence from representatives of the Council for Renewable Energy Nigeria (CREN) and Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), who have jointly endorsed the Asteven Energy Institute to provide the much needed certification, skills development and practical training expertise for manpower development in Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Sector, with much focus on solar expertise. This was after the associations paid a courtesy visit and undertook a facility tour of the Asteven Energy Institute on Tuesday, June 14th, 2022 at one of the Institute's campuses, located along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ogun State. The Asteven Energy Institute is the only approved Innovation Enterprise (IE) centre accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to award National Innovation Diplomas in Solar Technology. With four campuses located in Ogun State, Delta, Rivers and Abuja, the Institute is well placed to provide global quality training to aspiring technicians in the Solar Industry. The Nigerian government has embarked on several renewable energy, mostly solar based, initiatives for inclusion in the energy mix of the country and as well reduce the lack of energy access. This is more telling when juxtaposed against the fact that the single most negative factor in ensuring business growth in the country is the lack of sustainable and constant electricity. With over 200million people, expected to increase by 25percent by 2025 and an estimated energy deficit of 45percent, that’s close to 95 million people not having energy access, and the remaining 55percent under an inconstant load sharing plan, the need for an alternative energy source becomes a national security question. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of skilled manpower in the sector, paving the way for proliferation of unaccredited training centers and influx of foreign technical manpower resource. This is what Asteven Energy Institute has in its sights to do away with. According to the Registrar of the Institute, Engr Ebami Arogboritse, ‘It’s all about the quality of training. We undertook a curriculum development process that spanned almost two years, sponsored consultants to different countries to understudy their training regimen, studied the electricity sector in Nigeria and the manpower needs before the curriculum was developed fully’. At every step of the way, we interfaced with the National Board for Technical Education, made sure all requirements were provided, facilities and equipment put in place; and I am bold to say, no other training centre for Renewable Energy has the full complement of equipment we have for training our students. Such equipment include a Simulator to test electrical performance parameters and integrity of Solar Panels; a Spectroradiometer integrating sphere system to check LED Bulbs quality, Lab-to-field solar design and installation systems and also a well packaged financing and entrepreneurship model to ensure immediate integration into the clean energy industry upon graduation. This dedication is what we have come to see and partner with, says Dr Segun Adaju, President of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN). It is high time we sanitized the sector through providing the requisite capacity and manpower expertise so we can scale and provide better services to the industry. Secretary General of the Council for Renewable Energy Nigeria (CREN), Mr Sam Nwosu disclosed that CREN has over the years advocated for better local content participation in the renewable energy sector and ensuring an adequate mill of trained technical resource is a major step towards achieving this. ‘We need to have an accredited and respectable certification process and examination for technicians in the solar industry in Nigeria’. This is the only way we can compete and ensure the benefits of the growing focus on solar is locally entrenched’. The Institute was launched in 2018 as the Asteven Renewable Energy Academy with the mission of ensuring a truly developed skilled workforce for the Nigerian Renewable Energy Industry. Since establishment, the institute has continued to record many firsts all geared towards providing the best quality training for trainees and the sector. It is on record that the Institute is the only accredited Ecowas Certification for Sustainable Energy Skills (ECSES) examination centre in Nigeria. It is also the only private sector led centre with a full complement of training equipment. The Institute also holds pride of place as the only private sector academy to be accredited by National Board for Technical Education to offer National Innovation Diploma degrees in Solar Technology (Installation, Design, Manufacture and Entrepreneurship) Crenstar Renewable Energy Initiative, also known as ‘The Council For Renewable Energy Nigeria’ is a not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder association, which promotes the large scale deployment, impactful policy formulation and implementation as well as appropriate use of renewable energy technology in Nigeria and the reduction of greenhouse gases through reduced consumption of fossil fuels. CREN is established as a unifying platform to accommodate professionals, government, academics, associations, industry, financial institutions and services, the not-for-profit sector and end-users to act as an advocate and avenue for efficient, appropriate renewable energy awareness, development, standards, expertise, implementation; and to contribute towards developing a comprehensive and deployable sustainable energy strategy for Nigeria. A member based association, the Council has been instrumental to the development of several policies on Renewable Energy and is fully invested in ensuring Nigeria achieves total energy access through clean energy The Council is invested in; Creating Standards and Quality, Enhancing Expertise/ Training/ Skills Acquisition, Awareness and Capacity Building, Business Development and Sector growth, Clean Energy Generation, Deployment and Climate Change mitigation. The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) is an independent, non-profit Industry association founded by stakeholders in the Renewable Energy sector in Nigeria. We are an industry association of Renewable Energy professionals, project developers and practitioners that promotes the interest of the private sector in Nigeria's Renewable Energy sector. The Association's constitution was ratified on the 18th of August 2016 while it was formally launched on the 24th of November 2016. REAN is dedicated to promoting the growth and development of the industry in Nigeria by engaging with the public and private sector to guide advocacy, policy formulation and investment in the sector. The Mission of the Association is "to be the umbrella association for all Renewable Energy promoters enabling and encouraging the sustainable development of the Nigerian economy through Renewable Energy". Our vision is "to promote strategies that will improve the contribution of renewable energy up to forty percent (40%) of the National Energy Mix by 2030".