THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The Secretary-General of United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has appointed Nigeria’s Damilola Ogunbiyi as his Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and Co-Chair of United Nations-Energy.
Guterres announced the appointment in a statement published on the global organisation’s website on Tuesday (29 October).
The Nigerian succeeds Rachel Kyte of the United Kingdom as Special Representative, Co-Chair of United Nations-Energy, and CEO of SEforALL.
The statement read, “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.
“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.”
Ogunbiyi also took to Twitter to share the news of her appointment.
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According to the statement, the appointment of Ogunbiyi 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 organisation dedicated to helping the world achieve the SDG7) and the Paris Agreement targets with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
Another Nigerian, Amina Jane Mohammed, is the current Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. She was formerly the Federal Minister of the Environment of Nigeria.
Kola Tella
