Founder of COLE’ctive Initiative, Tonye Cole, has called on the federal government to invest in clean energy to create jobs, reduce environmental crises, and mortality.
Cole made the call in a statement on Monday to mark the 2026 International Day of Clean Energy.
“Clean energy is not only about technology. It is about dignity, opportunity, and security,” he said.
Cole announced the launch of COLE2Power, a clean energy access and transition platform aimed at promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable power solutions in Rivers State.
He added that COLE2Power seeks to position clean energy as a core driver of human wellbeing, economic opportunity, and environmental protection across the state.
He noted that COLE2Power reframes clean energy not as a technical sector alone, but as essential civic infrastructure, one that underpins healthcare delivery, enterprise productivity, education access, public safety, and climate resilience.
According to him, the programme aligns renewable energy deployment, community participation, innovation, and inclusive financing into a people-centred energy transition model.
“COLE2Power is structured to support expanded access to clean and reliable energy for over 230,000 households, clinics, schools, and small businesses, including clean or hybrid energy solutions for 230 public and community institutions across 23 Local Government Areas.”
Cole added that the COLE2Power will create job opportunities for 23,000 MSMEs and creative enterprises, activating 2,300 clean energy service providers and supporting 10,000+ green and energy-linked jobs across renewable energy value chains.
“Energy-efficient solutions across 319 wards that reduce energy costs, lower emissions, and decrease environmental pressure through cleaner power and reduced reliance on diesel and inefficient energy sources.
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“Community-level ownership, stewardship, and accountability through 230 clean energy stewardship zones, engaging 230,000 citizen participants and reaching an estimated 2.3 million citizens via education, advocacy, and media mobility platforms,” he said.
He added that, “COLE2Power directly links energy access to improved health outcomes, by supporting reliable power for healthcare facilities, cold chains, water systems, and clean cooking solutions.
“It advances wealth creation by enabling productive use of energy for micro, small, and creative enterprises, while reducing operational costs for local businesses. It also strengthens community security, supporting public lighting, emergency response capacity, and climate resilience.
“A COLE’ctive programme representative highlighted the systems approach. Energy access cuts across every development goal.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that a successful energy transition must be inclusive and locally owned.
