The chief executive officer and special representative of the U.N. secretary general (UN SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All, and co-chair of U.N.-Energy, Damilola Ogunbiyi has been recognised by Reuters for her initiatives to promote sustainable energy.
Ogunbiyi who is the recipient of the Energy Institute President’s Award for 2023, opens a new tab, has been recognised as a trailblazer in her field by numerous publications and globally respected lists.
With Ogunbiyi at the helm, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over 200 partners, supported over 90 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than $1.3 trillion in energy finance.
This has been achieved through programs such as Universal Energy Facility, Powering Healthcare, Women and Youth at the Forefront, Cooling for All, and Clean Cooking; and innovative initiatives such as U.N. Energy Compacts, Energy Transition Plans, Universal Integrated Energy Plans, the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) and the Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (REMI) among many others. Through her leadership, SEforALL has grown its global influence and country support providing clear pathways to accelerate progress towards universal energy access, ending energy poverty, and advancing the global just and equitable energy transition.
Prior to joining SEforALL, Ogunbiyi was the first female managing director of the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency where she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a $550 million facility, which is a joint World Bank and African Development Bank program that to date has provided energy access to over 5 million people across Nigeria.
She also conceptualised the Energising Economies Initiative, estimated to impact 1.2 million SMEs.
Before joining the federal government of Nigeria (FGN), Ogunbiyi was the first female general manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board. Under her leadership, over 100 megawatts of decentralised energy projects supplying electricity to Lagos State hospitals, schools and government facilities were completed.
Mrs Ogunbiyi currently serves as a member of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a member of the Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), an Advisory Board member of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, a member of the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a member of the Clean Cooking Alliance Advisory Board, and a member of the Advisory Board of University of Oxford’s Future of Cooling Programme. She was part of the COP28 Advisory Committee, and was Co-Chair of the COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC).
She is a global leader and advocate for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and is passionate about achieving SDG7, which calls for access to reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030.
“It is an honour to be named as one of the Trailblazing Women in Activism. Embracing sustainability fosters innovation by encouraging the development of new technologies, products, and business models that address environmental and social challenges such as energy access and climate change that we currently face. Sustainable business practices are essential for creating a resilient, equitable and prosperous future for both businesses and society as a whole, ensuring that we leave no one behind.’ said Damilola Ogunbiyi.