Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, has launched the Lagos Clean Energy Schools Innovation Challenge (LCESIC) 2026 to develop clean-energy innovation, STEM education and practical problem-solving skills among secondary school students in the state.

The initiative, unveiled yesterday at the ASSBIFI Event Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, was designed to expose students to real-world energy challenges and equip them with the knowledge and creativity required to develop practical solutions.

Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, who spoke at the launch, said the programme was an investment in the next generation of clean-energy innovators, stressing that it goes beyond a conventional school competition.

“This is not simply a competition. It is a platform for our young people to identify problems, ask questions, develop ideas and create solutions to real-world energy challenges,” the commissioner said.

Ogunleye said the rapidly changing global energy landscape required deliberate investment in young people who would design, build, regulate, manage and lead the energy systems of the future.

He said that the initiative would provide students with a structured platform to identify energy challenges, develop ideas, test solutions and apply scientific knowledge and creativity to practical problems.

The commissioner, who said the challenge would focus on four thematic areas: Solar Energy and Photovoltaics; Energy Efficiency and Conservation; Biogas and Waste-to-Energy and Wind and Hybrid Energy Systems, stressed that Lagos State, as Nigeria’s economic and innovation hub, must continue to develop the human capacity required to participate meaningfully in the transformation of the energy sector.

According to him, such capacity building must begin early by exposing students to innovation, technology and practical problem-solving.

Ogunleye, therefore, urged participating students to remain curious, work collaboratively, test their ideas and learn from setbacks, noting that the objective was not limited to producing a winning project but developing a generation capable of identifying challenges and working systematically towards practical solutions.

Earlier, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ibilola Kasunmu, described the initiative as an investment in young people and the future of the energy sector.

itically, embrace technology and develop practical and sustainable solutions.

In her goodwill message, representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Adumasi Bosede, described LCESIC as a laudable initiative that provides students with opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges.

Adumasi, who emphasised the importance of collaboration among government institutions, schools, teachers, industry partners and other stakeholders in nurturing the talents and capabilities of young people, urged the participating students to approach the challenge with enthusiasm, curiosity and an open mind, stressing that meaningful innovation begins with identifying a genuine need and developing an appropriate solution.