Drivers of Sustainability Education and Green Vocational Education and Training in Africa's Solar Sector: A Case Study of Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda

Although 43% of Africa’s population (amounting to about 600 million people) have no access to electricity, Africa still has 40% of the global potential for solar power. In 2022, Africa produced 12 641 MW of electricity from solar energy, amounting to 1.2% of the global production of solar electricity. Of this, 11 516 MW was from solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. The massive deployment of solar PV technology in Africa to address energy access also poses a challenge of lack of skilled manpower in the sector. What factors drive and influence Africa’s solar sector manpower provision and in what ways are African stakeholders addressing this? Using mixed-method research, interviews (individual and focus group), and published literature and policy documents, we considered Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda as our focus countries of study. Our study revealed (1) the complexity of the existing regulatory and governance frameworks and how they impact solar skills training, (2) the challenges of greening solar technical and vocational education and training in Africa, and (3) best practices in solar technical education delivery within the African continent that other stakeholders could learn from. We conclude by highlighting how addressing the identified challenges can lead Africa toward a more sustainable energy transition path.