On November 15th, 2017, Nextier Power Dialogue, organized by the Nextier Power advisory consulting firm, focused on increasing access to electricity in Nigeria. This monthly edition of the Power Dialogue aimed at sharing the experiences, challenges and opportunities of leading female professionals in the power sector. Supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the event was held at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Wuse II, Abuja.
Themed WomenEmpowered, the guest speakers included three female executives in Nigeria’s power sector; Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency, Mrs. Damilola Ogunbiyi; Managing Director, Geometric Power Limited, Mrs. Agatha Nnaji and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Ms. Imeh Okon. Awele Okigbo, Credo Advisory CEO, was the dialogue facilitator with the event attended by business leaders, donor representatives, sector stakeholders and representatives from various power sector MDA’s.
Speaking on her experiences, the Managing Director, Geometric Power Limited, Mrs. Agatha Nnaji, in her opening presentation, stated: “The voice of women needs to be recognized wherever and whenever decisions are made. For this to happen it is a prerequisite to strategize on how to include more women in decision making positions across all levels of the sector. Furthermore, she said that women can achieve whatever they set their minds to do and do not necessarily need to have a technical background to have a thriving career in the power sector.”
At the end of the event, Credo Advisory CEO, Mrs. Awele Okigbo expressed, “It is always an honour to be a part of the Nextier Power Dialogue even more this time as the moderator of such an overlooked subject matter. A global awareness of the underrepresentation of women in top positions in the corporate world has prompted many corporations to review their policies and practices to include more women in executive and managerial positions. With the advent of revitalized power sector reforms, it is very important that there are government interventions setup to address, and provide solutions to issues of gender disparity in Nigeria’s Electricity Industry.”
Follow this link to view photos from the event: Nextier Power Dialogue 2017
