L-R, Group Head, Talent Management, Sahara Power Group, Henry Ajibola; Sahara Power Technical & Innovation Academy (SPTIA) Trainee, Harrison Egbudu; Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, Anthony Youdeowei; SPTIA Trainee, Margaret Adebayo and Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Kola Adesina, during the launch of SPTIA at Egbin Power Plant, Ikorodu, Lagos.
By Peace Udugba
Sahara Power Group has launched its flagship Sahara Power Technical and Innovation Academy (SPTIA), a capacity-building initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerian engineers with advanced technical skills and hands-on experience for sustainable power generation.
The programme will be implemented in collaboration with Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), two major electricity generation companies within the Sahara Power Group portfolio.
A total of 50 graduate engineers have been admitted into the inaugural cohort of the 10-month training programme, which combines classroom instruction with practical, on-the-job experience across critical power generation assets.
Trainees will be exposed to real-time plant operations, maintenance systems, and industry best practices to prepare them for careers in the energy sector.
The Academy places strong emphasis on safety as a core component of training. Participants will undergo mandatory safety modules covering industry standards and operational best practices, alongside scenario-based practical sessions designed to instil a safety-first culture within plant environments.
At the conclusion of the programme, top-performing trainees will be deployed across Sahara Power Group subsidiaries, including Egbin Power and FIPL, while others will be integrated into the wider Nigerian electricity labour market. This, the Group said, is part of its broader commitment to strengthening technical capacity across the sector.
Speaking at the launch, the Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Kola Adesina, described the Academy as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s energy future and a response to the industry’s growing talent needs.
“We are committed to powering Nigeria not just through infrastructure, but through people. This Academy reflects our belief that the future of sustainable energy delivery must be driven by skilled young professionals who understand the local operating environment,” he said.
He added that Egbin Power and FIPL provide strong operational platforms for the initiative, given their technical depth and record of excellence, noting that the goal is to produce engineers who are industry-ready from the outset.
Also speaking, Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Anthony Youdeowei, said the programme will help strengthen the sector’s technical pipeline while fostering innovation and problem-solving among young engineers.
Group Head of Talent Management, Henry Ajibola, and trainees including Harrison Egbudu and Margaret Adebayo, were present at the launch held at Egbin Power Plant.
Sahara Power Group said the initiative underscores its broader corporate social responsibility agenda, aimed at deepening indigenous expertise and ensuring long-term sustainability in Nigeria’s electricity sector through human capital development.
The Group reaffirmed its vision of delivering reliable energy through a combination of infrastructure investment and workforce development, noting that the future of Nigeria’s power sector depends on both innovation and skilled local talent.
