The Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) is a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Government and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in collaboration with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Power. The programme aims to foster investments for Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE), and to improve access to electricity for the disadvantaged, mostly rural communities.

The programme is currently supporting the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) with the development of a strategic Action Plan for the environmentally friendly and safe disposal of waste batteries. As part of this Action Plan, it is foreseen to promote experiential learning for experts through visits to international used battery recycling facilities. As part of this process the Hybrid Experiential Learning Tour (HyELT) will be conducted.

Within the scope of this project, it was established that the long-term upgrading and fulfilment of minimum operational practices would be further supported by the conduction of a Hybrid Experiential Learning Tour (HyELT), where representatives of NESP, FMEnv, NESREA and battery collection and recycling facilities will travel to Germany to participate in a series of capacity building sessions.

• Promoting capacity building of participants by visiting battery recycling and collection facilities fulfilling international best practices and participating in a series of both physical and virtual sessions on best practices for end-of-life management of waste batteries from different perspectives (technical, financial, operational and regulatory)

• Facilitating business network formation and discussions between representatives of the facilities and battery collection and recycling facilities, battery manufacturers, equipment suppliers, regulators, relevant industry associations, policymakers and potential investors, towards the acquisition of necessary equipment required to upgrade facilities in Nigeria to international collection and recycling standards

• Promoting capacity building, knowledge transfer and cooperation between Germany and the battery handling sector in Nigeria.

• Developing the capacities of participants through a series of workshops and participation in the upcoming ICBR Conference in Salzburg

• Providing a basis for a subsequent business pitch/summit with potential investors and financing institutions, where the facility representatives can present business proposals that could potentially be supported by these institutions.

• Giving the Nigerian public and private sector representatives with the knowledge required to steer their modernisation of the waste battery value chain towards the fulfilment of international best practices, in cooperation with key stakeholders from Germany and in the EU.