Sahara Power Group has launched the Sahara Power Technical and Innovation Academy (SPTIA), a new initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerian engineers with the skills and practical exposure needed to strengthen the country’s power sector. The programme will be delivered in partnership with Egbin Power and First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), two of the group’s leading generation companies.
The Academy has admitted its first cohort of 50 graduate engineers into a rigorous ten-month programme. The curriculum blends intensive classroom instruction with hands-on, on-the-job training across critical generation assets. Trainees will work directly with real-time plant operations, maintenance systems, and industry best practices, giving them exposure that goes beyond textbook learning.
Safety forms a central pillar of the training. Participants will complete mandatory safety modules aligned with industry standards, followed by scenario-based practical sessions designed to instil a safety-first culture. The goal, according to the organisers, is to ensure engineers graduate not only technically competent but also confident and responsible in high-risk plant environments.
At the end of the programme, top-performing trainees will be deployed within Sahara Power Group’s businesses, including Egbin Power, FIPL, and its upstream operations. The remainder will be released into the broader Nigerian electricity labour market, a move the group says is part of its commitment to raising sector-wide capacity rather than keeping talent in-house.
Speaking at the launch, Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, said the Academy is a deliberate investment in Nigeria’s future and a direct response to the talent gap in the power industry.
“We are committed to powering Nigeria not just through infrastructure, but through people,” Adesina said. “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 noted that Egbin Power and FIPL provide the ideal training grounds given their track record of operational excellence and technical depth. By leveraging these assets, the group is building a pipeline of engineers who are “not only technically sound but also industry-ready from the outset.”
Adesina urged the trainees to embrace teamwork and problem-solving, stressing that the sector needs engineers who can identify inefficiencies and drive improvements. “We are here to truly and responsibly make a difference. We are here to look around our environment, and we are curious enough to see how we can make things better. We believe you are to make things better and add value to the sector,” he told the cohort.
The launch of SPTIA extends Sahara Power Group’s corporate social responsibility footprint beyond its internal workforce. By injecting trained engineers into the national talent pool, the company is contributing to the long-term resilience and sustainability of Nigeria’s electricity supply chain.
Industry analysts say such programmes are critical as Nigeria seeks to address chronic power shortages and improve reliability. The sector has long struggled with a shortage of skilled technical staff, with many plants operating below capacity due to maintenance and operational challenges.
The initiative underscores Sahara Power Group’s stated vision of delivering reliable and sustainable energy through a combination of infrastructure investment and human capital development. If successful, the Academy could become a model for other generation companies seeking to close the skills gap and prepare the next generation of power professionals.
For the 50 engineers in the first cohort, the programme represents more than training. It is a direct pathway into an industry where practical experience often determines career trajectory. And for Nigeria’s power sector, it is a step toward reducing dependence on foreign expertise and building homegrown capacity to manage the country’s energy future.
