ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has opened registration for the inaugural Lagos Cleaner Energy Schools Innovation Challenge 2026, an initiative aimed at promoting clean energy innovation among secondary school students.
The programme was announced in a statement issued on Friday by the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Adetola Idowu.
According to the statement, the competition is open to eligible Senior Secondary School One and Senior Secondary School Two students in Education Districts I, II and III.
Speaking on the initiative, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, said the programme is designed to inspire innovation and nurture future talents for the energy sector.
According to him, “The future of sustainable energy depends not only on infrastructure but, more importantly, on people. Through the Lagos Cleaner Energy Schools Innovation Challenge, we are investing in the next generation of innovators by nurturing creativity, inspiring critical thinking, and empowering students to develop practical solutions that will shape the future of energy in Lagos State and beyond.”
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He added, “Our vision is to build an innovation ecosystem where students understand that their ideas matter and that the government is committed to supporting innovation from the classroom to real-world impact.”
Under the competition guidelines, participating schools are expected to form teams consisting of five students, a supervising teacher and a mentor.
The teams will develop practical clean energy solutions within designated technical tracks and compete at district-level contests before progressing to the state championship.
Ogunleye said the initiative is expected to foster critical thinking, creativity and collaboration among students while contributing to the development of practical solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges.
According to the ministry, the programme also supports the Lagos State Government’s THEMES+ Agenda by advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, youth development and clean energy innovation.
The ministry urged eligible secondary schools across the three education districts to constitute their teams, appoint supervising teachers and mentors, and complete registration through the official application portal.
It added that details on eligibility criteria, competition guidelines and the registration process are available on the Lagos State Government’s official website.