List of training institutions and material

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The landscape of renewable off-grid systems in Nigeria is very dynamic and offers a lot of potential for developers. Training has emerged as a cornerstone for empowering developers and practitioners and equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to work successfully in this field. Many institutions offer training or training materials focusing on, for instance, technical expertise, business development, design principles or operation and maintenance. They range from online courses to in-person workshops, some are free of charge while others require a fee. A selection of training institutions in the OGS sector can be found in Table 1. The industry is changing fast, and so is the technology. Therefore, a developer should create a continuous internal and external training scheme, including opportunities for qualification and development.

Table 1: List of off-grid solar training institutions and materials (own extended illustration based on USAID, 2022)

Name	Area of action	Description
Renewables Academy (RENAC)	Worldwide, online	RENAC is a provider for training and capacity building on renewable energy and energy efficiency based in Germany. Additionally to solar energy, they also offer courses on other renewable energy sources as well as on business development. The offer includes a variety of ready-made trainings for individuals, tailor-made trainings for industry and organisations and academic programmes. The formats take place online or on-site at the RENAC training center in Berlin. In addition to the regular training programmes, RENAC also offers projects in partnership with other organisations in developing countries. These are usually free through financial support by third parties.
Energy Delivery Modes (EDM) Training by UNITAR	Online	The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) offers a wide range of courses and training activities for a diverse audience. The free EDM training aims to build staff capacity to support the integration of energy access and sustainable delivery models of modern energy services into humanitarian and development programming. It is based on the EDM Toolkit developed by IIED and CAFOD. The course consists of three modules: Module 1: Introduction to Energy Access in Displacement Contexts Module 2: Hands-on Design of Energy Delivery Models Module 3: Developing & Managing Your Energy Project
Cornerstone of rural electrification (CORE)	Online	The CORE initiative was jointly launched by ARE, ICA, IRENA, SforAll, UNEO and UNIDO to address the immense capacity building and technical assistance needs to support the development of DRE systems. It offers technical assistance to Practitioners on aspects related to improving safety, efficiency and reliability of decentralised electrification projects; Communities (especially women) on productive use of electricity; and to Governments on enhancing the policy and regulatory framework in support of decentralised electrification.
Asteven Renewable Energy Academy	Nigeria, UK	Asteven Energy is the first Innovation Enterprise Institution(IEI) approved by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and accredited by Nigeria’s National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to offer a National Innovation Diploma (NID) in Solar Energy Technology. It is accredited by the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) as a recognized institution for training and certification in Solar Photovoltaic (Off Grid) Installation in Nigeria. Offers: Solar Photovoltaik installation training (SPVI) For beginners and for those with limited knowledge National Innovation diploma in solar energy technology
Ashdam Solar Academy	Nigeria, online	Ashdam Solar specialized in design, installation and O&M of off-grid solar systems in Nigeria. They offer a variety of online courses, including basic information of renewable energy generation over system configuration and installment to customer service. Furthermore they have several onsite and blended (online and onsite) courses. One example is the “Solar Queen Program” which explicitly addresses women.
Blue Camel Energy Academy	Nigeria, online	The academy provides a range of online and onsite (tailored) training services for the renewable energy industry. Excerpt from the course list: Solar Photovoltaic Installation and supervision (SPVIS) Solar street lightning Technical vocational education & training TVET) Energy management course Solar system sizing & maintenance Finance
Ecowatt Nigeria	Nigeria	Ecowatt is a solution provider for sustainable development with focus on affordable and clean energy development. The company offers hands-on training courses and workshops which can vary from standard to tailor-made courses. They also organize trainings and study tours to Germany/Europe. Due Diligence for Solar Industrial and Commercial Energy Audit Training ISO 50001 Energy Management System EnMS
GreCo Academy	Online	GreCo Academy provides quality training that covers the entire solar energy value chain from finance, marketing, management policy-making and solar engineering. They also offer a variety of free courses. Excerpt of course offer: Basics of how to start a solar business Business and Finance Energy efficiency in buildings Customer service Policies and regulations Homer software Data collection
National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN)	Nigeria	NAPTIN is a parastatal training institute under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Power. In this context it offers training and certification among others for generation companies (GenCos) & distribution companies (DisCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Excerpt of course offer: Technical courses: NGSDP (Graduate skills development programme) NTSAP (Technical skills acquisition programme) PGD (Post graduate diploma in Power system O&M) On-the-job training Non technical courses: Leadership & Management Marketing & Customer Service Electricity trading, regulation & pricing Other, non-technical & soft-skills
Renewable Energy Technology Training Institute (RETTI)	Nigeria, USA, Online	The Renewable Energy Technology Training Institute Registered in Nigeria runs programs that cover the skills required to excel in any value chain of solar from the Basics of system design to project commissioning and decommissioning to Minigrid design/installation, Renewable energy Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Their course also covers the design and assembly of solar panels. RETTI works with partners in the USA, Italy, and Brazil to offer programs on Hydropower, Onshore Wind, and Bionergy all focused on engineering and economics and covering utility and small scale. Through the RETTI virtual University created in 2021, the online version of their courses reaches people beyond Nigeria who cannot join in person.
Rubitec Academy	Nigeria	Rubitec Limited is a leading Nigerian renewable energy company. Rubitec Academy is an initiative to partner with academic and training institutions in Nigeria and abroad in developing future leaders in Renewable Energy and Environmental Science through a 1-year workplace training programme. Requirement is experience in the field. SPVI SPVIS Minigrid designer
African School of Regulation (ASR)	Africa, Online	The ASR is designed to meet the educational needs of professionals at all levels in the field of energy regulation. The trainings offered by ASR are hold in a diversified learning environment (online, residential and tailor-made) focused on African issues, with local and international perspectives. They involve academic and practitioner instructors from the ASR itself, African institutions, government agencies, think tanks, NGOs, companies and international partners.