Abuja: The Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr Michael Terungwa David, has urged government agencies and the private sector to invest in women-led renewable energy initiatives and scale up climate adaptation financing that directly benefits local communities. Dr David made the call at a workshop in Abuja themed ‘Empowering Women Voices for Renewable Energy Boot Camp,’ as the world prepares for the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil. He emphasised that access to energy should be recognised as a human right rather than a privilege.
According to Voice of Nigeria, GIFSEP has launched the Women Voices for Renewable Energy in Nigeria initiative, supported by the Social Change Nest and the UMI Fund, to empower women as key drivers of Nigeria’s energy transition. ‘Over the past three days, we held a Women for Renewable Energy Boot Camp, where we trained women and girls from fossil fuel-impacted communities to become solar technicians and clean energy
advocates,’ Dr David said. Through hands-on sessions and mentorship, participants gained practical skills in solar installation, maintenance, and community energy education, preparing them to return to their communities as both practitioners and change agents for renewable energy adoption.
Dr David noted that Nigeria is richly endowed with renewable energy resources, particularly solar power, with an average annual solar irradiation of 1,600-2,200 kWh/m². He said this potential could provide clean, affordable, and reliable power for homes, schools, clinics, and small businesses, transforming millions of lives. Ms Dorcas Nicanor, Project Lead for Empowering Women Voices for Renewable Energy, said the workshop was designed to amplify women’s voices and equip them with both advocacy and technical skills. ‘This boot camp was designed to empower women with advocacy skills for renewable energy and the energy transition in Nigeria, and to also train them in solar technology,’ she explained.
Representing the Owukpa
Women in Benue State, Julie Okoh described the boot camp as a vital opportunity for communities affected by coal mining. ‘We come from communities where coal is no longer our blessing – it has become our doom. We live in total darkness,’ she said. ‘As women, when we return from our markets, we cook in the dark using palm froth lanterns. For us, renewable energy is no longer charity – it’s our right. We have learned so much and are ready to create change in our communities.’
From the Niger Delta region, Dr Amanie Stella, Executive Director of the Society for Women and Youths Affairs in Ogoni, Rivers State, said the boot camp gave women a platform to demand climate and energy justice. ‘Crude oil from the Niger Delta has funded Nigeria for decades, yet our people live with environmental degradation and poverty,’ she said. ‘We have lost our land and mangroves, and our women have lost their livelihoods. Many of our communities still live in darkness. This boot camp has strengthened our voices to demand justice an
d sustainable energy development for our region.’
The event underscored the growing movement of women advocating for a just and inclusive energy transition in Nigeria. Participants called for greater investment in renewable energy technologies, particularly those that empower local women to lead change within their communities. Dr David reaffirmed GIFSEP’s commitment to ensuring that women are not merely beneficiaries but active contributors to Nigeria’s clean energy future.