Leading Women In Nigeria’s Energy Sector

The Energy, Oil & Gas Industry has been mostly dominated by Men, however, there are some women in Nigeria committed to ensure energy is clean, reliable and sustainable.

Habiba Ali

Habiba Ali is the CEO of SOSAI Renewable Energies Company which was founded in 2010 to address issues related with rural & community development as regards to Clean water and Energy, and also empower Northern women to get more involved in the Energy sector.

Habiba Ali & her siblings grew up selling food stuffs at a roadside stall, working late into the night with the help of a kerosene lantern providing light. Habiba lost her sister Rakiya to severe headaches and difficulties in breathing, which got her thinking if the smokes from their kerosene lantern contributed to the poor health of Rakiya and led to her death eventually.

This incident propelled Habiba to venture into the renewable energy sector.

“Going home at night, I thought of those women I passed selling their wares, and I wondered how I could help so they didn’t have to face what I faced, or what my sister possibly faced,” she says. “Then at a forum in Uganda, I learned that staying next to a kerosene lamp and inhaling fumes for two hours is the same as smoking a pack of cigarettes. This kept ringing in my head.”

I bought a couple of solar powered lanterns, gave them to female roadside traders, to be used in place of kerosene lanterns, the women love them, that’s when I realised I’ve found a new business.”

The Rockeffeller foundation to the All On Hub provided a $3.5 million naira grant in 2019 to SOSAI Rebewable Energy Company.

Sosai Renewable Energies Company is one of the largest distributors of Renewable energy products such as low carbon emission cooking stoves to solar lamps, solar panels, water purifiers to end-users in Nigeria especially Northerners.

Hannah Kabir

Hannah Kabir

Creeds Energy Founder and CEO is Hannah Kabir. For Hannah, there was no initial interest in renewable energy, she got into it by accident. Hannah’s desire was to study an IT course for her master’s degree, however, she got a scholarship to study renewable energy.

Starting in 2012, Hannah reached out to Habiba Ali, CEO of SOSAI Energy for mentorship.

Creeds Energy is mostly focused on underserved communities, providing solar systems for small and medium-sized enterprises, thereby replacing diesel generators.

“Many of the businesses we support are cottage businesses run out of the front of homes, so we also introduce energy-efficient appliances like refrigerators as part of our basic package.”- Hannah Says.

Award winning Renewable Energy company, Creeds Energy, also runs an initiative which was designed to totally alleviate electricity poverty using renewable energy technology in three communities in northern part of the Northern part of Nigeria.

Oolu

Doseke Akporiaye

Doseke Akporiaye is the founder of Oolu Energy Limited, a company which is focused on increasing access to renewable energy for customers completely off-grid.

Oolu’s mission is to provide off-grid rural households in West Africa with high quality products at an affordable price.

The company is currently operating in 22 states, in Nigeria.

Oolu Solar, originally started in Senegal, now providing rural households in Nigeria with solar home systems which are affordable and reliable meeting their basic power needs.

In 2018, the company was founded, distributing most of its products in South-West Nigeria states like Osun, Oyo and Ekiti. Oolu Solar is focused on providing access to clean energy to millions of people in West Africa without electricity. So far Oolu has sold more than 34,000 units to rural customers across Mali, Senegal and Burkina Faso since its launch in 2015.

Sandra chukwudozie.

Sandra chukwudozie’s parents are entrepreneurs in the Real Estate and Oil/Gas sector which has greatly inspired her career choice.

Speaking about her Solar company, Salpha Energy which distributes solar systems to homes and businesses. Sandra has revealed in few interviews that working at the UN at a certain time, changed her mindset about energy.

In her words:

I gained a new perspective on energy when I started my career at the United Nations in New York. It was at that time that I found myself finding an outlet where I could actively work on effecting change,” she said.

She also shared her biggest inspiration, which is to be an exemplary and visionary leader.

$1m was invested in Salpha Energy Nigeria by Shell-funded impact investment company, innorder to boost the company’s solar home systems distribution business.

Salpha Energy is addressing the huge market need for energy by providing the infinite source of light that is freely accessible to everyone.

Renewable technology innovations is simply placing power in the hands of people through quality, innovative durable and affordable products