The Schneider Electric Foundation has donated industry-specific training equipment and facilitated technical capacity-building sessions for the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), as part of its youth education and entrepreneurship initiative in Nigeria.

According to Schneider Electric Foundation, the intervention is designed to equip students with practical energy management skills aligned with global industry standards. It forms part of the company’s Access to Education programme in West Africa, through which Schneider Electric has surpassed its target of training one million people in energy management by 2025.

In a statement by the Foundation, “This latest support follows similar donations earlier in the year to Government Technical College Agidingbi, Government Technical College Ikotun, and Government Technical College Ikorodu, all under the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB).

At FUTO, students in electrical and engineering disciplines will now have access to customised didactic benches covering domestic wiring and industrial motor starter applications. The equipment is expected to strengthen hands-on learning and reduce the gap between classroom theory and practical industry application.”

Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at FUTO, Prof. Matthew Olubiwe, expressed appreciation for the gesture, noting that the donation enhances the university’s teaching capacity. He said the equipment “is helping bridge the gap between theoretical instruction and industrial practice, significantly enhancing the hands-on learning experience for our students and technical personnel.”

Schneider Electric Foundation Delegate for West Africa, Funmilayo Olakitan, said the partnership with FUTO aims to ensure students are exposed to tools and technologies relevant to today’s energy sector. She noted that such exposure prepares them for both local and global opportunities.

Schneider Electric said it views universities such as FUTO as key partners in developing engineers and entrepreneurs who will contribute to the continent’s energy transition.

In addition to the equipment donation, Schneider Electric conducted intensive training for university instructors. Olakitan said the vision is to “invest in the future of Nigerian youth” by embedding industry knowledge into academic training to empower the next generation for roles in the energy sector.