Nigeria Launches Siemens-backed Training Programme for 6,000 Power Sector Professionals

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a major capacity development initiative aimed at training 6,000 energy professionals under the Presidential Power Initiative as part of efforts to strengthen technical expertise across Nigeria’s electricity sector.

The Siemens Energy Education and Development training facility, inaugurated in Abeokuta on Tuesday, is expected to serve as a key hub for workforce development in the country’s power industry.

Speaking at the inauguration, the Director of Human Resources Management at the Federal Ministry of Power, Samaila Nasiru, said the project represented a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria’s energy sector beyond physical infrastructure expansion.

According to him, while the Federal Government continues to invest heavily in transmission and distribution upgrades under Phase One of the Presidential Power Initiative, sustainable reforms would depend largely on the availability of skilled manpower.

He explained that the five-year programme was designed to build local technical capacity capable of operating, maintaining and optimising modern electricity infrastructure nationwide.

Nasiru noted that the initiative would also enable participants to obtain internationally recognised certifications through collaboration with institutions such as the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency.

He said, “While we are making critical investments in grid transmission and distribution capacity nationwide under Phase One, we recognise that infrastructure alone cannot solve our energy challenges.

“Although modernising the grid is essential, it is the empowerment of our people that makes such progress sustainable.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the FGN Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, described the programme as a critical component of the government’s broader electricity reform agenda.

According to him, the initiative aligns with the objectives of the Presidential Power Initiative by combining infrastructure modernisation with deliberate human capital development.

Anuwe said the programme would train professionals across multiple centres in Nigeria, including Abeokuta, Offa, Ibadan, Ayede, Birnin Kebbi and Sokoto.

He added that the collaboration with institutions such as COREN, NEMSA and the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency would ensure international certification standards and improve employability across the West African region.

“Today’s event is not only about the launch of a training initiative. It is about investing in people. It is about building the technical capacity, professional expertise, and institutional knowledge required to sustain Nigeria’s energy transformation for generations to come,” he said.

The Managing Director of Siemens Energy in Nigeria, Sheu Suleman, said the programme would support the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise the power sector while addressing technical losses and operational inefficiencies.

He noted that the Presidential Power Initiative remained central to the current administration’s energy reform agenda and would help deepen local capacity through technology transfer and workforce development.

Suleman disclosed that additional training locations would be developed in partnership with the Federal Government to expand the programme nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Country Director of GIZ Nigeria, Markus Wagner, said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s ongoing power sector reforms and broader efforts to improve electricity infrastructure and technical standards.

He added that development partners were working closely with relevant institutions to integrate globally accepted quality assurance systems and industry-approved training standards into the programme.