One hundred youths from Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti State, have completed a week-long training programme designed to equip them with hands-on skills in the installation and maintenance of solar devices, courtesy of the National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
The training, organised under the NASENI Skill Acquisition & Empowerment Programme (NSAP), came to a close on Friday, 25th September 2026, with participants receiving instruction in modern electrical installation and maintenance techniques.
The initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises skills development and economic inclusion as pathways to national prosperity.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the agency was proud to support the President’s vision through training that converts knowledge into employable skill.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by NASENI’s Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, the EVC/CEO, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Agency, Dr Mrs. Olayinka Komolafe, noted that the trainees have now been equipped with the competencies needed to meet the rising demand for skilled electrical and maintenance workers in the economy.
He explained that through targeted capacity building, strategic partnerships and the promotion of practical technological skills, NASENI aims to bring knowledge and innovation out of laboratories and institutions and closer to grassroots communities, where it can create opportunities and strengthen livelihoods.
The Chairman of the Occasion, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences (FUTES), Iyin Ekiti, Prof. Olugbenga Aribisala—represented by Prince Bayo Francis Fafure—commended NASENI for the gesture and urged participants to put the equipment to good use, deepen their knowledge of solar technology, and build viable businesses from the skills acquired.
High Chief Oluwole Ogunsakin, who spoke on behalf of the community leadership, thanked NASENI for choosing Ikole Ekiti indigenes for the programme and cautioned beneficiaries against squandering the opportunity.
He noted that the starter kits provided were meant to launch them on a path toward self-reliance and prosperity, urging them to treat the packs as tools for transformation.
Also speaking, HRM Oba Engr. Femi Aribisala warned trainees against selling the equipment they received, urging them instead to retain and apply what they had learned to grow their own businesses over time.
He added that royal fathers in the area would monitor the beneficiaries to ensure proper use of the materials, and called on NASENI to establish a formal mechanism for tracking their progress.
Items handed over to the participants included a complete electrical toolbox, a multimeter, a screwing machine, protective and safety apparel, a cordless drilling machine, and a torque wrench, among other equipment.
