Damilola Ogunbiyi

Damilola Ogunbiyi speaking at COP26 in Glasgow, November 2021

Damilola Ogunbiyi HonFREng is a global leader and advocate for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a focus on SDG7, which calls for access to reliable, affordable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.

With Mrs. Ogunbiyi at the helm, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has entered into working relationships with over 200 partners, supported over 90 countries globally, and secured commitments of more than $1.3 billion in energy finance. This has been achieved through programmes such as Universal Energy Facility, Powering Healthcare, Women and Youth at the Forefront, Cooling for All, and Clean Cooking; and innovative initiatives such as UN Energy Compacts, Energy Transition Plans, Universal Integrated Energy Plans, the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), and the Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (REMI) among many others. Through her leadership, SEforALL has grown its global influence and country support providing clear pathways to accelerate progress towards universal energy access, ending energy poverty, and advancing the global just and equitable energy transition.

Prior to joining SEforALL, Mrs. Ogunbiyi was the first female Managing Director of the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency where she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a USD 550 million facility which is a joint World Bank and African Development Bank programme that to date has provided energy access to over 5 million people across Nigeria. She also conceptualised the Energizing Economies Initiative, estimated to impact 1.2 million SMEs.

Before joining the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), Mrs. Ogunbiyi was the first female General Manager of the Lagos State Electricity Board. Under her leadership, over 100 megawatts of decentralized energy projects supplying electricity to Lagos State hospitals, schools, and government facilities were completed.

Mrs. Ogunbiyi currently serves as a member of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab, a member of the European Investment Bank Climate and Environment Advisory Council, a member of the Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), an Advisory Board member of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, a member of the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), a member of the Clean Cooking Alliance Advisory Board, a member of the WHO High Level Coalition on Energy (HEPA), and an advisory council member of the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy Advisory Council (WISER). She was part of the COP28 Advisory Committee and was Co-Chair of the COP26 Energy Transition Council (ETC).

Education

• 2001 – B.Sc. Project Management with Construction, University of Brighton
• 2002 – M.Sc. Construction Management with Public Private Partnership, University of Brighton

Career

• 2008–2010 – Consultant, Department for International Development, Government of the United Kingdom
• 2010–2011 – Senior Special Assistant on PPP to the Governor of Lagos State, Lagos State Government
• 2011–2015 – General Manager, Lagos State Electricity Board, Lagos State Government
• 2015–2019 – Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria and Head of Advisory Power Team, Office of the Vice President, Federal Government of Nigeria
• 2017–2019 – Managing Director, Rural Electrification Agency, Federal Government of Nigeria
• 2020 – Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Energy for All
• 2020 – Co-Chair, UN-Energy
• 2020 – Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, United Nations
• 2020 – Member of the Clean Cooking Alliance Advisory Board
• 2020 – Member of the Development Advisory CouncilMember of the Development Advisory Council of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
• 2021 – Advisory Board Member of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University
• 2022 – Member of the European Investment Bank Climate and Environment Advisory Council
• 2022 – Member of the Global Leadership Council (GLC)Member of the Global Leadership Council (GLC) of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)
• 2023 – Member of the World Bank’s Private Sector Investment Lab