The National Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a ₦17.5 million grant to support young Nigerians with innovative renewable energy solutions, in a move aimed at accelerating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s clean energy agenda and expanding youth participation in the country’s energy transition.

 

The grant was unveiled on Monday in Abuja by the APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel, during the opening of the Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship (MAELF), a seven-day residential programme designed to equip young professionals with the skills and knowledge required to transform Nigeria’s energy sector.

Israel disclosed that the grant, funded by Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would provide financial support to outstanding fellows to develop renewable energy enterprises and innovative projects capable of addressing Nigeria’s persistent electricity challenges.

He said the initiative underscores the APC Youth Wing’s commitment to supporting President Tinubu’s renewable energy agenda by empowering young Nigerians to become active contributors to the country’s energy transformation.

According to him, the fellowship will expose participants to renewable energy technologies, energy transition policies, climate action, leadership and governance, while also connecting them with policymakers and regulators across the energy sector.

He explained that fellows would engage with institutions including the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the Rural Electrification Agency and other government agencies to build partnerships that could help translate innovative ideas into commercially viable solutions.

Announcing the grant, Israel said the fellowship was designed to create opportunities for young innovators to access mentorship, institutional support and funding needed to grow their businesses.

“There’s going to be a lot of opportunity for the young people to meet with regulators and government agencies that they can partner with to achieve their energy enterprise ideas and goals,” he said.

Israel noted that renewable energy remains central to solving Nigeria’s electricity crisis, stressing that stable power supply is essential for industrialisation, economic growth and improved living standards.

“The focus is on renewable energy, biogas and other clean energy solutions. We want the ‘Up NEPA’ issue to become a thing of the past. We want to support the President’s vision for improved power generation and distribution while bringing new players into the energy ecosystem,” he added.

He said the APC Youth Wing was determined to complement the Federal Government’s investments in infrastructure by promoting youth-led innovation capable of delivering sustainable energy solutions across the country.

One of the fellows and Co-founder of Fosun Solar Energy Nigeria Limited, Nafisat Ovurebu, described the fellowship as a timely intervention, saying Nigeria’s electricity challenge lies not in the absence of energy resources but in inefficient generation, transmission, distribution and financing.

She observed that although the country possesses abundant renewable energy resources, greater attention must be paid to building systems that guarantee reliable electricity supply.

Ovurebu expressed optimism that the fellowship, backed by the ₦17.5 million grant, would empower young entrepreneurs to develop practical solutions capable of strengthening energy security, improving agricultural productivity and driving economic development.

The APC Youth Wing said the fellowship forms part of its broader effort to mobilise young Nigerians behind President Tinubu’s renewable energy agenda and promote innovation as a catalyst for sustainable national development.