The Sun
In a bold step towards aligning climate ambition with employment equity, Nigeria has inaugurated a multi-stakeholder Community of Practice (CoP) on Inclusive Green Jobs aimed at developing a national framework to support green skills, job creation, and coordinated policy reform.
Convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy, with technical leadership from the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform and Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), the virtual session brought together over 60 stakeholders—including policymakers, educators, civil society actors, donors, private sector leaders, and renewable energy professionals.
“We’ve had energetic green economy efforts—policies, skills, investments—but they’ve operated in silos,” said Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, Chairman of the House Committee on Renewable Energy. “This CoP is our collective antidote to fragmentation. It must be bold, not bureaucratic; collaborative, not competitive.”
According to him, two flagship initiatives co-created by the Community of Practice will drive the development of two transformative instruments, which include the National Inclusive Green Jobs Act (NIGJA), a federal legislative framework designed to formalise green job creation and mandate inclusive employment in the renewable energy and low-carbon sectors. The Act will feature affirmative action provisions—30% youth participation and 25% women’s representation—and enable state-level adaptation through Green Jobs Compacts.
The other is the National Green Skills and Employment Alliance (NGSEA), a coordination platform to align industry demand with training programmes. The NGSEA will foster partnerships between government agencies, training institutions, and employers to expand apprenticeships, improve technical curricula, and ensure workforce readiness.
According to Victoria Manya, Knowledge Manager at INCLUDE, “If energy transition is not tied to jobs, we risk deepening unemployment. This initiative ensures solar technicians in Jos and female engineers in Sokoto can say the green economy is working for them.”
Abra Dangnan of API, who co-led the presentation, explained that the CoP is an engine of the Africa Policy Dialogue (APD) framework—a model that uses structured, cross-sectoral conversation to shape actionable policy grounded in both local insight and global relevance. The CoP also serves as the engine for structured policy dialogue under the Africa Policy Dialogue (APD) umbrella, supported by INCLUDE. Through quarterly meetings, knowledge exchanges, regional advocacy workshops, and policy consultations, the CoP will play a critical role in transforming fragmented initiatives into coordinated national action.
“This is not just about drafting policy,” said the CoP’s Co-Chair Abra Dangnan. “It’s about building a system where a solar technician in Jos, a female engineer in Sokoto, and a green entrepreneur in Aba can all say: Yes, the green economy is working for me.”
Stakeholders offered strong support and thoughtful recommendations during the inaugural meeting, including calls for grounding the NIGJA Act in enabling legislation, ensuring coordination between federal and state policies, and establishing clear Terms of Reference and inclusive working groups.
Emphasis was placed on transparency, community inclusion—especially youth, women, and persons with disabilities—and alignment with existing advocacy efforts like those of NESG. The next steps include a nationwide rollout of advocacy workshops, apprenticeship fairs, and consultations to shape the NIGJA Bill.
While the House Committee on Renewable Energy leads Nigeria’s legislative oversight and agenda-setting for the energy transition, the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will facilitate evidence-based policymaking across Africa. And the API (Advocacy for Policy and Innovation), a pan-African think tank, focuses on digital policy, sustainable development, and inclusive governance.
