Contribution of UNU/GTP training to geothermal development in Africa

• Main Author: Martin N. Mwangi
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.528.9601; http://www.jardhitafelag.is/media/PDF/S02Paper001.pdf

Seventy-five geothermal professionals from ten African countries have been trained in the UNU/GTP in Iceland since the programme started in 1979. Five of these UNU/GTP Fellows hold MSc degrees. This is about 25 % of all the beneficiaries of this training world-wide. Kenya has benefited the most with 33 people, followed by Ethiopia with 20. About 32 % of the trainees from Africa have left the industry. Kenya has retained the highest number of its professionals and has equally achieved the most in geothermal power generation. Over the 25-year period, Africa has benefited tremendously from the training. What is critically required now is to accelerate geothermal development in the continent by removing financial and political barriers so that the trained professionals can fully be utilised to achieve the intended growth. The Iceland training will still be required for some years to come, particularly in providing some assistance in formulation of a mechanism for involving the already trained professionals in training more Africans.