The Federal Government has unveiled plans to localise the production of lithium batteries and solar components as part of efforts to boost youth skills development and strengthen Nigeria’s renewable energy ecosystem.
Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja during the launch of a mobile solar generator and the Green Skills Bootcamp, themed “Spark the Green Economy: Robovolt Brand Reveal and AI-Driven Microgrid Skills.”
Abdullahi noted that Nigeria is endowed with vast deposits of lithium and other mineral resources across several states, which provide a strong foundation for domestic production.
“Nigeria is very rich in mineral resources, including lithium in almost every state. The government is taking steps to localize and domesticate our technology. Very soon, we will stop importing lithium batteries and solar panels because we will be producing them here,” he said.
He further revealed that the Federal Government has signed investment agreements with LONGi, the world’s largest solar component producer, to establish factories in Nigeria.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu remains committed to ensuring that 30% of Nigeria’s energy mix comes from renewable sources such as solar, hydro, and wind.
At the event, CitiBIM Nigeria Ltd unveiled a youth-focused initiative aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy and digital innovation.
The Green Skills Bootcamp will train young Nigerians in artificial intelligence (AI), geo-intelligence, virtual reality, and sustainable energy solutions.
Chief Executive Officer of CitiBIM, Dr. Abdul-Quayyum Gbadamosi, emphasized that merging digital innovation with renewable energy offers a pathway to tackle Nigeria’s chronic power shortages while creating thousands of jobs.
“Nigeria struggles with energy access. Generators are common in households and businesses, so our team took up the challenge of creating a solution — the mobile solar generator we are launching today.
“We also faced a shortage of local skills, which inspired us to organize this bootcamp to equip youths with opportunities in sustainability, the green revolution, energy access, and the digital economy,” Gbadamosi said.
He added that CitiBIM has developed a Sustainability Dashboard to capture and map assets nationwide, requiring data collection, processing, visualization, and geo-intelligence — opening new career pathways for Nigerian youths.
Also speaking, Jide Awolowo, Investment Facilitation Coordinator of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI), highlighted the Federal Government’s efforts to expand access to cheaper and cleaner energy alternatives.
“When we came in, Nigeria had about 11 CNG fuel stations. Today, there are over 60, and by the end of the year we expect 175 more. We have also attracted over $1 billion in private sector investment and aim to convert about one million vehicles to CNG by 2027,” Awolowo said.
Managing Director/CEO of Sleekabyte Technologies UK Limited, Dr. Oladimeji Olawale, announced the company’s new Robo Boats project, which aims to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by reducing dependence on diesel generators.
“Our solution will cut costs for businesses and increase their profitability. Beyond that, it will also create jobs, as people will be trained with the right skills to maintain and deploy these solutions,” Olawale said.
The bootcamp was attended by policymakers, innovators, and young entrepreneurs, all emphasizing the importance of empowering Nigerian youths with green skills to drive the nation’s clean energy transition.
