The 2020 Africa Women in Energy conference and awards tagged *African Queen of Energy awards with the theme: The Pan African Dream – African Energy Resilience and Recovery.

The hybrid event ( Live and Virtual ) which ran from the 15th to 17th December 2020 with the live session held in Nairobi , Kenya had very large participation of Women in the Energy, Oil , Gas , Power and Renewables sector delegates from across Africa – West Africa, North Africa, East Africa and South Africa.

There were representatives from across major African countries including but not limited to Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Congo, Sudan, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ghana , Gambia, South Africa e.t.c.

The 3-day event had very engaging sessions where the progress of African Energy Value Chain was discussed intricately by several female and Male Energy enthusiast, subject matter experts and veterans both from within and outside Africa. The discussions were centered around topics such as *how the Energy Industry is shaping for the female professionals, the Pan-African Energy dream, the potential of women engaging in energy transition, operating in renewable energy sector, African Energy Revolution, new frontiers, moving from invisible to influential and finally gender mainstreaming in the Energy Sector* were some of the topics trashed at the highly engaging conference.

The event which had high level government, private sector and public sector representatives from across Africa revealed major facts and concerns summary which is that all the African countries have the same issues, concerns and challenges -African wide Energy Poverty and the need for all and sundry to collaborate and work together to close the Energy gap without prejudice.

Nigeria was duly represented at the landmark event by strong , indefatigable Energy Ladies from the Women In Energy , Oil and Gas – WEOG Nigeria some of who contributed extensively to the success of the landmark event sharing their expertise and experience as Keynote speakers and panelist. Of honourable mention are Engr. Mrs Olu Maduka , the Chairperson of the group, Mrs Susan Morrice, the group”s global Matron, Dr. Oladunni Owo – the National President, Chief Mrs Anita Okuribido , board Executive, Engr. Mrs. Funmi Kadri, Mrs Dolapo Okulaja – Kotun and Mrs. Dorcas James all members of the indefatigable, not for profit group.

Dr. Oladunni Owo , the National President of WEOG while anchoring the Opening speech at the Day 1 of the conference turbo-charge and challenged all African Nations to work at deliberately mainstreaming women into the Energy value chain leveraging on same as a strategy for prompt closure of the obvious Energy poverty / gaps across the continent. Dr. Dunni who is also a member of the Global Women in Energy Transition Network ( GWNET) and Forbes Women International during her speech passionately shared the WEOG Nigeria’s vision, mission and objectives with the other participating women groups from across Africa for possible replication in their countries, the crux of her passionate delivery was the need for the continent to close obvious gender gap in the industry in line with the SDG 05, close the Energy poverty gaps and close the huge gap between the African resource / raw material wealth and its transformational effect on the lives and quality of living of the people.

The 3rd and last day of the conference was graced with the Queen of Energy Award Ceremony, the 1st Pan African Women in Energy award , sponsored and confirred by the Ministry of Energy, Kenya , where several nominees and final awardees emerged from across different countries in Africa in different categories .

The WEOG Ladies made Nigeria proud by bagging 2 of the 11 Pan African award categories, a notable feat to be celebrated. The 2 categories are:

1. The Pan- African Women in Energy Group of the year Award 2020 and
2. The Pan- African Community Leader ( individual ) award 2020

Dr. Dunni Owo fondly called “The Refinery Lady” having authored an award winning master piece title : *Blackgold Refinery Business Made Easy* led the delegation of over 20 Energy Women who represented Nigeria at the phenomenal event remarked during a Thanksgiving session held at the organization”s Secretariat in Lagos, that the award came as a big surprise and declared the dedication of the award to first to God , then to all members and participants of the Women in Energy , Oil and Gas ( WEOG) Nigeria forum, to all African girl child in STEM , to all African young professional women in the energy value chain, to all African women in the Energy Industry and to all African Women in the oil and gas Host communities.

 

 

The second award which is an individual award category tagged the Pan African Community leadership award was bagged by the Energy driven Chief Mrs Anita Okuribido, Mama Renewable as fondly called by many . She won the award in recognition of her assiduous, dogged and emphatic drive to close the energy poverty gap in Nigeria through renewable energy and green solutions for all and sundry with extensive focus on the grass root and rural communities. Her one Nigerian child one solar reading light project is a major project she’s so passionate about a strategy she passionately shared with the other African nations for possible replication during one of the panel discussion at the just concluded conference. Okuribido who recently singlehandedly built and commissioned the 1st African Women’s Green Energy Institute, situated in Lagos State , In her award acceptance speech also expressed her surprise at the award and dedicated the award to all African Women and Global womanhood.
Chief Okuribido is a member of the Board of Trustees of Women In Energy, Oil and Gas – WEOG, President Women in Renewable Energy Association ( WIRE- A) and Chairperson, Women in Sustainable Power Africa, Network (WISPANET).

The WEOG group founded in 2018 with the Moto: *Energy Women Closing Energy Gap: Energy Women Moving the Nation Forward* have been working relentlessly , Adovacting the mainstreaming of women in the male dominated energy industry With several feats to show for it. Of notable mention is their advocacy for women inclusion in the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum in line with the tenets of SDG 05 through the creation of the gender diversity sectoral working group (SWG) under NCDMB , a group that was commissioned by the Executive Secretary Engr. Simbi Wabote, earlier this year, in addition to this, the group has developed several women energy enterprenurs across the energy value chain by asidiously training and building capacities positioning women for opportunities and possiblities in the energy value chain and of recent in their advocacy for the Nigerian Gas decade 2020-2030 in line with the tenets of the SDG07.
Congratulations to all African Women in Energy, Oil, Gas, Power, Renewable e.t.c