The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, has empowered more than 80 young Nigerians through the maiden edition of the Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship (MAELF) 2026, a week-long leadership and capacity-building programme.
The fellowship, initiated and fully sponsored by Abdullahi through the DAM Foundation in partnership with the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Wing, brought together young Nigerians from across the country for training in leadership, energy policy, entrepreneurship, innovation, governance and sustainable development.
The fellows arrived in Abuja on Sunday and commenced activities on Monday, undergoing six days of lectures, policy dialogues, mentorship sessions, panel discussions, innovation workshops, team projects and networking engagements before the programme closed with a graduation ceremony on Friday.
Participants interacted with senior government officials, policymakers, development experts, academics and private sector leaders, including the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN; the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande Wisdom; former President of the Senate and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Engr Abba Abubakar Aliyu; and the National Youth Leader of the APC, Hon Dayo Israel.
The programme climaxed with the presentation of certificates and an empowerment package valued at over ₦17 million, including startup grants ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million awarded to outstanding fellows to support innovative ideas, enterprise development and community-based initiatives.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Abdullahi said the fellowship was designed to nurture a new generation of ethical, competent and visionary leaders capable of advancing Nigeria’s energy transition.
“As I look around this hall today, I see not just graduates of a fellowship programme; I see ambassadors of hope, innovators in waiting, solution providers and future architects of Nigeria’s energy future,” he said.
He commended the fellows for their discipline and ability to build friendships across regional, ethnic and religious divides, adding: “You came here with curiosity. You embraced learning with humility. You challenged ideas respectfully, built friendships across regions and backgrounds, collaborated with one another and demonstrated that the Nigerian youth, when given the right opportunity, possess limitless potential.”
Abdullahi urged the fellows to make integrity, excellence and service the defining principles of their leadership journey.
I8″Certificates may open doors, but character sustains leadership. Knowledge may create opportunities, but integrity preserves them. Influence may attract followers, but service is what builds lasting legacies,” he stated.
He described the energy sector as a driver of social and economic transformation rather than merely infrastructure. “It is fundamentally about people. It is about improving lives, reducing poverty, creating opportunities, empowering industries, strengthening healthcare, enhancing education and securing a better future for generations yet unborn,” he said.
He charged the fellows to become advocates of sustainable development and champions of innovation, stressing that the fellowship “must never become a certificate that gathers dust on your shelf.”
The DAM Foundation said the maiden edition marks the beginning of future editions as Abdullahi continues to invest in youth empowerment and leadership development for Nigeria’s energy transition.
