The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has
announced the appointment of Damilola Ogunbiyi of Nigeria as his
Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair
of United Nations-Energy.
Ms. Ogunbiyi also got appointed by the Administrative Board of
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) as its Chief Executive
Officer (CEO).
Ms. Ogunbiyi succeeds Rachel Kyte of the United Kingdom as
Special Representative, Co-Chair of United Nations-Energy, and CEO
of SEforALL.
The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to Ms. Kyte for
her dedication and commitment to the United Nations, her
achievements in accelerating universal energy access, and her
leadership in advancing sustainable energy transition in the
context of the Paris Agreement.
Ms. Ogunbiyi brings extensive leadership experience and a track
record of supporting energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa to these
roles.
She was the first woman to be appointed as Managing Director of
the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency.
She is also responsible for implementing the Nigerian Off Grid
Electrification Programme and successfully negotiating the Nigerian
Electrification Project, to rapidly construct solar mini-grids and
deploy solar home systems across Nigeria.
She also developed the Energizing Economics Initiative and
Energizing Education Programme, which provide sustainable and
affordable off grid power solutions.
Before joining the Federal Government of Nigeria, Ms. Ogunbiyi
was the first woman to be appointed as the General Manager of the
Lagos State Electricity Board, which is responsible for public
lighting, independent power projects, and energy development
serving millions of people across the State.
Prior to this, she consulted for the United Kingdom Department
for International Development on public-private partnerships.
Ms. Ogunbiyi is a globally respected leader with a broad and
diverse international network in the area of energy development,
which includes key relationships with leading multilateral and
bilateral partners and the private sector. She is also one of the
Commissioners for the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty.
The announcement comes as the world is about to enter the final
decade to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to
affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by
2030.
SEforALL is an international organization, headquartered in
Vienna, Austria, that is dedicated to helping the world achieve
SDG7 and Paris Agreement targets.
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