TheCable

About 50 entrepreneurs in the Niger Delta region received training on renewable energy and how to improve service delivery, profitability and business management skills.

The training tagged “Business Linkages Program” was a mentorship and capacity development programme expected to onboard renewable energy sector retailers as part of efforts to bridge the unemployment gap in the Niger Delta region.

The training, which was held in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, followed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and DMG-Events, Dubai, in May 2021. 

The MOU focused on improving the market for renewable energy in the Niger Delta of Nigeria through a Retailers Linkage Program. 

“The Retailers Linkage Program is targeted at increasing the awareness of young entrepreneurs from retail enterprises in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States about procurement procedures and requirements, as well as enhancing networking opportunities among major dealers,” Teslim Giwa, PIND’s Access to Energy Manager, said at the opening session of the training.

“This is essentially a business linkages program designed particularly for the Solar PV markets. Through this partnership, 50 MSMEs in the Niger Delta (Delta-10, Bayelsa-25, and Rivers -15) will be on-boarded as retailers of renewable energy products. Also, we will be building their capacity as Solar PV professionals at an entry-level so they can become installers and support the industry.”

Giwa said the Retailers Linkage Program fits into PIND’s Access to Energy model as communities with no access to energy and renewable energy technologies can now be introduced to the business modules, which gives them electricity at a very affordable cost. 

“While it is an income-generating activity for the entrepreneurs, the beneficiaries in the value chain are going to have access to electricity on the other hand. The energy needs of businesses and households in rural and semi-urban communities will be met from this two-pronged approach,” he added.

Speaking at the training, Tayo Emmanuel Kehinde, CEO of Vectis, the lead organisation for the Retailers Linkage Program, said the training would allow entrepreneurs to create other income streams. 

Rukky Iriferi, a female participant, expressed gratitude to PIND and DMG Events for prioritising inclusiveness and female participation in the Retailers Linkage Program, adding that many people would benefit from solar home systems (SHS).