From Belgium to Nigeria: EU and UNIDO Train Local Firms to Build Small Hydropower Turbines

A European Union and United Nations-backed initiative has taken a decisive step towards strengthening Nigeria’s small hydropower manufacturing capacity, with the successful completion of a turbine fabrication training programme in Belgium.

The programme, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization with financial support from the European Union, focused on improving technical manufacturing skills and licensing capacity within Nigeria’s private sector. It formed part of a structured knowledge and technology exchange between Nigerian and Belgian companies operating in the small hydropower space.

Beneficiary companies included Nigeria Machine Tools Limited, Nigerian Foundries Limited, Momas-Epail MIC (MEMCOL) Limited, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASINI).

The training was jointly financed through two complementary initiatives: the EU-funded Small Hydro Power Development for Agro-industry Use project and the Global Environment Facility-supported Scaling Up Small Hydropower in Nigeria project. Both programmes aim to expand small hydropower capacity in Nigeria while supporting agricultural productivity, food security, and local manufacturing linked to job creation.

Representing the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Godfrey Ogbemudia, Programme Manager for Energy and Circular Economy, said the EU strongly promotes technology transfer as a means of ensuring long-term project sustainability. He noted that building local capacity is essential for expanding energy access in partner countries such as Nigeria, while collaboration with European private and public sectors remains a core priority. According to him, a key outcome of the initiative is the ability of Nigerian firms to locally fabricate turbines and install them on-site across the country.

For Nigerian manufacturers, the training marked a significant shift from dependency on imported equipment towards domestic production. Cynthia Samuel Abima of Nigerian Foundries Limited described the programme as highly valuable, emphasising that obtaining licensing to fabricate and manufacture turbines locally represents a major advancement for private sector companies in Nigeria. She also expressed appreciation to UNIDO and the EU for their investment in strengthening Nigerian industrial capacity.

The two-week programme combined technical instruction with extensive practical exposure. Participants visited multiple power plants and European turbine fabrication facilities, while also engaging in the design and assembly of crossflow turbines and electromagnetic equipment. Site evaluations and live demonstrations of turbine manufacturing procedures formed a core part of the training, giving participants hands-on experience in the operation and construction of small hydropower plants.

Beyond skills transfer, the programme signals a broader shift towards local ownership of clean energy technologies. By equipping Nigerian firms with both technical expertise and licensing capacity, the initiative lays groundwork for more resilient energy infrastructure that is designed, built, and maintained within Nigeria.

For Africa, where energy access gaps continue to constrain industrial growth, such partnerships highlight the importance of moving beyond project delivery towards durable capacity building. Nigeria’s growing ability to manufacture its own small hydropower turbines reflects a wider continental ambition to harness local skills, reduce reliance on imports, and power development through home-grown solutions. As young African economies navigate energy transitions, initiatives like this offer a realistic path towards sustainable industrialisation driven from within.

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