Oscarline onwuemenyi 30 September 2015, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The National Directorate of Employment, NDE, has announced government’s plans to use solar energy to boost employment generation for thousands of youth in the country.
Speaking recently at a solar energy system training, NDE Director-General Mallam Abubakar Mohammed, said the agency had been involved in environmental scanning to address unemployment over the years.He said one of the steps taken was the training of youths in renewable energy, specifically solar energy system, due to the energy crisis confronting Nigeria as a nation.
“Renewable energy refers to energy sources like solar, hydro, wind, biomass and geothermal. This energy source is very attractive because, it is non-depletable and inexhaustible, and available on periodic or cyclic basis.
“Energy service is desired and useful in products, processes or indeed services that result from the use of energy, such as for lighting, provision of air-conditioning, indoor climate, refrigerator storage, transportation and appropriate temperature for cooking,” he said.
According to Mohammed, who was represented at the occasion by the Director, Small Scale Enterprise, Mr. Kunle Obayan, the energy chain to deliver the services begins with the collection or extraction of primary energy, which is converted into energy carriers suitable for various end users.
He said although Nigeria needs adequate supply of energy to drive its economy and power its domestic, economic, technological and social sectors, it has however been difficult to meet the energy needs of the citizenry by successive governments.
“The above informed the decision of the management to approve the training in renewable energy such as solar, not only because of the inherent advantages it has over other sources of energy, but because of the employment potential.
“We are encouraged that this source of energy is capable of generating employment in geometrical proportions, in the design, harvesting, installation and maintenance,” he said.
The NDE boss also stated that the directorate had produced 950 technicians in 19 states of the federation, adding 50 were resettled in Ilorin, Kwara State out of the 100 unemployed youths who were trained while another 50 were resettled in Akure, Ondo State, out of the 61 persons trained.
