The Federal Government, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has concluded a four-day nationwide training and certification program for Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (RAC) technicians.
The training, which took place in Kano, had the theme “certification training on safe handling of natural refrigerants for RAC technicians.” The initiative is part of a broader effort to equip technicians with the skills to handle environmentally friendly refrigerants, ensuring both safety and sustainability in the industry.
The first batch of the training, held from 18th to 21st Aug. 2025, was simultaneously conducted in Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Awka, reaching technicians across the North-West, South-West, South-South, and South-East regions.
The second batch of the same training will be conducted later in the year for the Norh-Central and North-East Zones of the country.
Previously, the same training was conducted for 40 RAC Technicians in Abuja at the Government Science and Technical College, Garki, Abuja, in July, this year.
During the opening ceremony at the Government Technical College, Kano, the Director, National Ozone Office, Department of Pollution Control & Environmental Health, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Idris Abdullahi, explained that the programme would build the capacity of technicians.
He said, “It is designed to ensure technicians are equipped to manage Ozone-friendly and Low-Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants safely and responsibly.
“RAC Technicians Certification programs focus on safe handling practices, leak detection, and proper recovery techniques for refrigerants.
“This step-down training and certification of RAC technicians on the safe use of natural refrigerants is essential for ensuring that only trained and certified technicians are permitted to handle Hydrocarbon Refrigerants due to their flammability issues.”
Abdullahi added that natural refrigerants such as CO₂ (R-744), ammonia (R-717), and hydrocarbons like propane (R-290) present environmentally-friendly alternatives to synthetic refrigerants.
They include: Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC-22), currently being phased out under the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons Phase out Management Plan Project, being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with UNDP.
Abdullahi stated that the refrigerants were increasingly adopted in critical applications like cold storage facilities and supermarkets due to their efficiency and environmental benefits.
In a goodwill message, Dr Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria), reaffirmed the organisation’s partnership with the National Ozone Office.
According to him, it is meant to fast-track the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment in Nigeria.
Represented by Mr Jeremiah Ato, Policy and Technical Manager at SRADeV Nigeria, Adogame emphasised the role of technicians in the transition to sustainable cooling technologies.
He said: “Technicians are at the heart of this transformation. Your expertise directly impacts the performance, safety, and environmental outcomes of cooling systems.”
Adogame added that training focused on customer relations, occupational safety, lifecycle refrigerant management, and handling of alternative RAC technologies.
He said it was critical to responsibly phasing down High-GWP Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment with support from UNDP.
NAN further reports that it was done in partnership with the National Association of Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Practitioners
