The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria has returned from a week-long technical study tour to Finland with a clearer roadmap for upgrading vocational energy training and introducing new industry-driven learning models across its centres.
The programme, facilitated by Nordic Bridge Partner and supported by the European Union under the Transforming Vocational Training in the Nigerian Power Sector project, ran from November 3 to 8 across the Helsinki and Vaasa regions and exposed the management team to Finland’s advanced system of vocational education, hands-on energy training and clean-technology innovation.
The tour, themed Finnish Excellence in Vocational Energy Training and Innovation, offered a structured immersion into how Finland prepares its workforce for power grid operations, low-voltage systems, renewable energy projects and emerging technologies.
For NAPTIN, the experience is expected to shape new teaching standards, strengthen institutional partnerships and support the institute’s long-term plan to modernise Nigeria’s technical manpower base for the power sector needs.
The delegation began its programme at Omnia Education Partners in Espoo, where it observed practical training in welding, low-voltage installation and electrical safety. Faculty members demonstrated how Finnish vocational schools blend theory with applied training through workshops, simulations and student-led projects. NAPTIN officials held discussions with Omnia’s leadership on curriculum reform, industry participation and exchange opportunities.
The team also visited Finnpartnership, the Finnish Foreign Ministry’s development aid platform, where they were briefed on funding windows that support skills development and joint programmes with African institutions. Attention was given to the EU’s Opportunity-Driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training in Africa initiative, which could help NAPTIN secure technical assistance for specialised programmes linked to employment outcomes.
A session with the legal firm Bird & Bird covered the regulatory foundations of Finland’s energy infrastructure and highlighted models that could guide policy improvements in Nigeria’s grid and renewable-energy investments. The group later toured Teraloop, a company developing flywheel-based storage systems that offer alternatives to conventional batteries. The visit provided a close look at technologies expected to influence future off-grid and hybrid-power solutions.
The second phase of the tour took place in Vaasa, Finland’s leading energy cluster. At the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, NAPTIN explored how universities and industry engage through living labs, joint research and work-based training. Discussions focused on workforce readiness, power-system competence and opportunities for structured collaboration between VAMK and NAPTIN.
Read Also:
- NAPTIN partners with Finnish institutions to boost Nigeria’s energy innovation, vocational training
- Finland named world happiest country for 8th consecutive year
- Kaduna State opens applications for Vocational Training and Skills Development Institute
A broader tour of the Vaasa energy ecosystem followed, including visits to Merinova Technology Centre and Danfoss. These institutions demonstrated how companies, researchers and vocational schools co-develop new solutions in energy efficiency, robotics, automation and renewable-energy integration. Vaasa’s €250 million annual investment in research and innovation provided a benchmark for how an aligned ecosystem accelerates technological progress.
The final sessions were held at Aalto University, where the Nigerian delegation studied Finland’s model for combining academic rigour with design thinking, entrepreneurship and project-based engineering. Professors and researchers presented their work on energy systems, student innovation and commercialisation pathways. The group toured the Aalto Design Factory, a hub known for its interdisciplinary product-development projects that link students, industry and public agencies.
The study tour concluded with demonstrations from InfraKit and TerraSolid, two Finnish firms offering digital tools that improve planning, mapping and operational efficiency in infrastructure and energy systems. Their platforms showed how data-driven processes can strengthen project execution, reduce risk and improve grid-management standards.
Nordic Bridge Partner described the programme as an important step in a longer-term partnership with NAPTIN. The company’s Co-CEO, Francis Otuoba, noted that the tour created a shared foundation for building stronger technical capacity, while Senior Management Advisor Petri Saarinen said the experience highlighted practical methods that could be adapted within Nigeria’s power-sector training framework.
With the tour completed, NAPTIN is expected to deepen its collaboration with Finnish institutions, introduce new hands-on learning practices and deploy innovations suited for Nigeria’s energy transition. The institute believes the exposure will help it deliver a more competent workforce and support the country’s effort to strengthen power-sector reliability and modernisation.
