By Gabriel Ewepu

AS energy supply to boost industrialization in the country remains a herculean task, a nonprofit making organization, Solar Sister Nigeria, wants inclusion and support for women entrepreneurs to tackle Nigeria’s energy problem, especially at the rural areas.

The call was made by the Country Director, Solar Sister Nigeria, Olasimbo Sojinrin, at the recent ‘National Roundtable on Improving the Enabling  Market Environment for Women Entrepreneurship in clean Energy sector’ sponsored by Solar Sister Nigeria, Africa Clean Energy, and supported by Energia, while stressing the important role women play in energy solutions as they are key component in proffering solution to scaling up energy access by rural communities.

According to Sojinrin, the National Round Table basically focused on Nigeria, but the issues and prospects can be applied across the energy landscape, which she pointed out that women are a key part of the solution to scaling up energy access, especially in underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria as household energy managers, distributors, entrepreneurs, trainers, and technicians, because women are in a unique position to connect with communities, increase awareness, deliver sustainable energy products and trusted services.

It is natural that women become active change agents in the energy sector when they sell, maintain, and finance sustainable energy products and services.

The organization is out create innovative approaches to engage women in the energy sphere and come up with solutions to the barriers that stop the engagement of women in this area.

It is also investing in local women’s enterprise; everyone should have access to affordable clean energy; support local African women to create sustainable businesses that spread clean energy to their communities and beyond.

The keynote speaker was Dr Meseret Teklemariam Zemedkun, spoke on ‘The Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs and Their Impacts in the Clean Energy Space’.

She said: “For many years now, women have received the short end of the stick, not having access to equal opportunities as men to social and economic environment. Critical factors, such as lack of access to finance, legal and regulatory barriers and the lack of appropriate education and technical skills have served to hinder women’s full participation as significant agents for economic development.

“To advance the role of women in Nigerians sustainable energy value chains, it is vital that key stakeholders mainstream innovative approaches to proactively engage women in their efforts. There is also the need to proffer solutions to some of the barriers that are hindering more deliberate engagement of women in the sector such as lack of finance and technical skills.”

However, the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency, REA, promised to boost activities of women entrepreneurs in the country’s energy sector, which already established a Gender Mainstreaming Programme to advance gender inclusion and diversity.

This was made known by the Head, Project Management Unit, PMU, REA, Anita Otubu, while expressing the agency’s commitment towards ensuring women in the energy sector including service providers and beneficiaries are recognized and supported.

“The REA has established a Gender Mainstreaming Programme to advance gender inclusion and diversity as well as to facilitate increased participation of women in the power sector.

“For instance we have data indicating that of the 1358 Solar Homes Systems (SHS) connections recorded for Micro, Small and Mediums (MSMEs) under the SHS component of the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP),250 are female owned”, Otubu said.

Earlier in an opening remarks, the Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, who was represented by Special Adviser, Dr Priscilla Achakpa, to the Minister, pointed that women entrepreneurs in the energy sector need enablement and level playground in the clean energy sector, which should not only be about women’s rights, but about creating sustainable and practical pathways to expand clean energy access and be in the frontlines of combating climate change.

Ikeazor also stated that the role of said women entrepreneurs is key in providing solutions towards up-scaling clean energy access in line with their unique positioning, connect to communities to deliver sustainable energy products in a way that is equitable, inclusive and impactful.

Also speaking was the Programme Manager, Women Economic Empowerment, ENERGIA, Silvia Sartori, who said for energy business, women are uniquely positioned to access untapped markets in last mile communities.

Project Manager, Solar Sister Nigeria, Chinenye Anekwe, said the event was organised to facilitate the involvement of women entrepreneurs in the energy space.

“We want a situation were we can harmonise the entreprenueurial spirit,human capital and also have a supportive environment for the women entrepreneurs in the energy space to thrive”, Anekwe said.