Connecting the unveiling of the Barefoot Renewable Energy College at CUSTECH, Osara, to climate resilience
By Hon. Michael Onimisi Ajibade
Director-General, Kogi State Climate Change Agency
The Barefoot Renewable Energy College, Osara (BARECKS), developed and mainstreamed by the Energy Commission of Nigeria at the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Kogi State, was officially commissioned on August 4, 2026.
I am immensely delighted and proud to warmly congratulate the Energy Commission of Nigeria, CUSTECH, the Kogi State Government, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria on this historic milestone.
I was privileged to be physically present at the commissioning and witnessed with genuine excitement the unveiling of this remarkable institution. What I saw was more than the commissioning of another educational facility; it was the unveiling of a bold vision capable of shaping the future of energy, employment, innovation, and climate action in Kogi State and beyond.
At this point, it is important to highlight the profound connection between the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and the global climate change agenda.
Climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern. It is already affecting economies, livelihoods, food systems, ecosystems, and communities across the world. Nigeria and Kogi State are not exempted. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, flooding, erosion, drought, and increasing pressure on energy systems make the transition towards cleaner, sustainable, and climate-resilient development increasingly urgent.
It is against this background that the Barefoot Renewable Energy College assumes enormous significance.
Renewable energy is central to global climate action. The transition from fossil-fuel-dependent energy systems to cleaner and renewable sources is essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
However, technology alone cannot achieve this transition. We also need skilled, innovative, and empowered young people who can design, install, maintain, and expand clean-energy solutions.
This is where the College becomes particularly important.
Through practical training in renewable energy technologies, BARECKS has the potential to develop more than technicians. It can produce entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, and climate champions who will take clean-energy solutions from the classroom into communities, farms, businesses, industries, and households.
For Kogi State, this is particularly significant. The State has considerable potential for solar energy and other renewable-energy applications. Harnessing this potential can help address energy poverty, create green jobs, stimulate local enterprise, improve livelihoods, and strengthen communities against the impacts of climate change.
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I therefore wish to place on record my profound appreciation to the Energy Commission of Nigeria for this visionary initiative. The Commission has demonstrated foresight by recognising that Nigeria’s energy transition must be anchored not only on infrastructure, but also on knowledge, skills, innovation, and human capacity.
The establishment of this College represents a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future and a tangible contribution to the nation’s climate action agenda. It is a legacy project with the potential to positively impact generations.
I equally commend the administration of His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the management of CUSTECH, and all partners whose commitment and collaboration have made this vision a reality.
As the Pioneer Director-General of the Kogi State Climate Change Agency, I consider this institution a natural and strategic partner in our collective efforts to mainstream climate action into the development agenda of Kogi State.
The Agency looks forward to working with CUSTECH, the Barefoot Renewable Energy College, the Energy Commission of Nigeria, and other stakeholders to promote climate literacy, renewable energy deployment, green innovation, research, capacity development, and community-based climate solutions.
The global climate community should therefore celebrate this achievement, not merely as the establishment of a college, but as the planting of a seed of transformation.
A seed that can illuminate homes, empower young people, create livelihoods, strengthen communities, and contribute meaningfully to the global fight against climate change.
May the Barefoot Renewable Energy College grow into a national and continental centre of excellence, producing the knowledge, skills, and innovations required to build a cleaner, greener, more resilient, and prosperous Nigeria.
Once again, congratulations to the Energy Commission of Nigeria. Congratulations to Kogi State. Congratulations to Nigeria.
“Climate action without an energy transition is incomplete; renewable energy turns our climate ambitions into practical solutions.”