• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Beyond skills, women need to expand their network – Ojemeni

Beyond skills, women need to expand their network – Ojemeni

Ujunwa Ojemeni is a senior energy and development finance executive. She is also the founder of African Women in Energy Development Initiative. In this interview, she talks about her career development and shares personal experiences meant to show the value of women in business profitability. She told Stephen Onyekwelu about what a woman needs to thrive in the male-dominated energy industry. Excerpts:

Some sectors of the economy have traditionally been male-dominated; energy is one of such. Why in your view is this so?

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) report in 2019, women only have a 22 percent representation in the traditional energy sector, which is even lower at management levels. The renewable energy sub-sector is higher at 32 percent.

This low level of representation is a result of both structural and cultural challenges.

Some major barriers to entry for women include the perception of gender roles which is closely linked to cultural and social norms. A number of jobs in the energy sector are seen to require physical strength, which some people believe are best suited for men.

For those energy jobs that do not require physical strength, some still believe that Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) related roles are too technical for women to handle.

In fact, the number of women enrolled in such programmes in schools is generally lower due to such perceptions. For example, the study conducted by IRENA showed that in New Zealand, women represent 80 percent of graduates in health-related studies, but less than 30 percent in engineering and this is similar for most jurisdictions.

Other reasons for male dominance in the energy sector include the lack of clear gender targets by governments and inadequate workplace policies that fail to encourage diversity. The workplace policies include little to no consideration being made for nursing mothers, inflexible working arrangements, the lack of after-hours childcare facilities, absence of women-focused mentorship opportunities, and the reluctance to recruit pregnant or newly married female candidates.

Read also: Nigeria driving big economy with poor education sector

I believe it is time for us to challenge cultural and social norms that are not serving any purpose, promote mentorship opportunities for women, conduct diversity audits in governments and organisations as well as gender awareness training, and drive policies that ensure equal access to opportunities and much more.

In any case, the evidence is clear that a diverse workforce is good for the bottom line. Mckinsey’s 2019 analysis finds that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile.

You have worked in the energy industry; how did you get in and what has been your experience?

My career in general including my entry into the energy sector has not been a fully planned path from inception. I have taken some risks, grabbed some opportunities and followed my unique path based on my areas of interest, skills and passion. I have also been sensitive to the energy sector transition and plugged-in appropriately.

It has been an interesting journey and a great learning experience. Following some years at KPMG, I moved into the energy sector – to Axxela Limited (formerly Oando Gas & power). I was the primary lead on the maturation of selected gas and power opportunities and coordinated the financing efforts for the organisation’s projects.

Thereafter, I moved to All On, a clean energy company in the off-grid sector, where I worked as the senior investment associate structuring and providing energy project developers with appropriate financing for their businesses along with strategic support. In my current role advising governments and energy enterprises in the sector, I have a broader responsibility ranging from energy policy, to investments and supporting implementation and it has been a fulfilling experience.

In terms of my overall experience in the sector, I would say it has been a journey in part from going with the flow, to intentionality and then growing a support system.

In 2014 when I started my professional involvement in the energy sector, there were only 2 women on my team, and I was unclear how to navigate or how to find suitable mentors within or even outside the organisation. This gap sparked the passion to establish a platform that will help women in the energy sector gain accelerated career growth and support – the African Women in Energy Development Initiative (AWEDI Network). I am glad to now have a number of brilliant trusted women I have leaned on for support and who provide me with counsel as I continue with my journey in the sector.

The family seems to play a role in what people become in life, what role did your family play in helping you play in the energy industry? Would attribute your achievements to chance, luck or uncommon privileges?

Getting into the energy sector was largely incidental but in retrospect, I am able to connect the dots to see how each experience in my life has built up to the next. Like most Nigerians, I have personally experienced the effects of inadequate access to electricity. So being able to create maximum impact through my work in the energy sector has been very fulfilling.

My birth family has never really been over-prescriptive regarding my studies or work; they would typically suggest and encourage but the decision was always mine. Currently, my immediate family (husband and kids) are a source of inspiration and constantly support my various aspirations.

I attribute the positive impact I have made in my career thus far first to God. My faith plays a central role in my life and without God’s guidance at each step of my career and grace to successfully pursue multiple opportunities; I will not be where I am today.

Second, hard work and discipline are values that define me. I had an average upbringing and while I did not lack any needs, I did not have everything I wanted handed to me and had to be diligent at every stage. I learnt work ethics from my parents who are much disciplined. I believe in excellence and naturally have the drive and personality that craves for concrete results from my actions, so I give little room for excuses or just accept I did not do my best.

A third aspect I do not take for granted are the people that have helped me along the way – as Barbara Stanny calls them, ‘True Believers and Way Showers’. I have had some great teachers who have sometimes been my colleagues or bosses some of whom I have had the great opportunity to work within multiple roles, and have had them entrust me to deliver value.

Clean energy transitions will require innovative solutions and business models to be adopted and greater participation from a diverse talent pool, how can women in Nigeria and Africa leverage on this to leapfrog their participation in the sector?

The clean energy transition is essentially the drive from fossil-based fuel to zero carbon-emitting fuels. For long-term sustainability of this transition, various business models are essential and would require the most suitable financing, right implementation approach, high-quality operation and maintenance, which cuts across the entire value chain.

This creates room for a diverse range of disciplines including technicians, IT experts, programmers, business developers, project managers, safety personnel, project owners, legal practitioners, financiers etc.

With the growing awareness of the need for gender balance in the sector, a number of organisations are now deliberately trying to ensure more diversity within their organisations. It is important that governments and industry organisations go a step further by publishing their diversity targets or quotas across their organisations highlighting top executive and board levels targets, policies and programs to achieve this including measurable actions.

Indeed the ‘Equal by 30’ campaign by the Clean Energy Ministerial comprised of a number of high-income countries, which is advocating for the 3Es: Equal opportunity, Equal pay and Equal leadership; should be replicated in Africa.

As women, we must now be prepared with the necessary skillsets along with the various disciplines across the value chain, achieved by learning, relearning and continuously learning. We must also be more deliberate to ensure we are impactfully visible, communicate powerfully, and consciously seek out opportunities to add value in the sector.

Beyond skills, one important step for women is to expand their network and to have mentors and sponsors that support their career progress. One way to do this to join various female groups in the energy sector such as the African Women in Development Initiative (AWEDI Network), which is a pan African platform which prides itself in sharing useful information, providing women with learning opportunities (technical and soft skills) and opportunities to be more visible in the sector.

You founded the African Women in Energy Development Initiative, what is this about?

The African Women in Energy Development Initiative is also known as the AWEDI Network, for short. It was birthed out of the gap felt by women in the energy sector in Africa who need a support system as they navigate their careers in the sector.

It is the first African organisation focused on women across the energy value chain. It offers networking opportunities, professional development, mentorship, career sponsorship (acceleration) capacity building, and leadership training for women at all stages of their energy careers and also for female students at the secondary and tertiary levels.

The network provides a platform for women to meet other professional women in the energy industry, supporting their growth and providing them with the resources and platforms they need to successfully navigate their journeys within the sector.

What are some of your specific programmes and by which metrics do you measure progress?

The AWEDI Mentorship Programme is one of our signature programmes that serve as a purposeful platform to connect women who are new entrants or who seek accelerated career growth in the energy value chain with veterans in the industry. The AWEDI Mentorship Programme was launched in December 2019.

We had a total of 134 applications and 80 mentors in the first and second cohorts. So far, we have matched 77 mentees from East, West and Central Africa with mentors across the energy value chain that provide them guidance as they navigate their careers.

We also have our periodic ‘Broaden & Enlighten’ sessions which bring in experts within the energy industry to discuss topical issues facing the industry. The B&E session ensure that women within the network are armed with the necessary information and skills needed to excel in their energy careers.

In terms of how we measure progress, the fact that we have more women showing interest in joining the network shows that we are doing something right. We have also seen some of our mentees gain job placements, promotions within the period they signed up, start businesses within the mentorship program and much more.

We receive feedback on the exceptional impact the mentorship program has had on the careers of the women involved. While this is heartening to us, we are keen to keep helping more women to excel.

Our community is growing on a daily basis and our spread across the African continent is increasing – indeed our interactive online platform has about 150 women. We are excited about the future of the Network.

You coordinated many gas and power development opportunities of up to $300 million at Axxela Limited (Oando Gas & Power), and earlier at the management consulting unit of KPMG. What do you see as the future of gas in Nigeria given our huge gas reserves? What are the obstacles too?

Gas as cleaner energy (40 percent less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels like oil and coal) source forms a significant part of the Nigeria energy mix and is expected to central to be to Nigeria’s energy transition and also to meet regional fuel needs.

Given that Nigeria possesses the largest natural gas reserves in the continent, and with the country’s population expected to double by 2050, there is likely to be increased demand for fuels including gas. Also, with some investments in gas infrastructure such as the development of various gas transmission pipelines (such as the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System II, Ajaokuta Kaduna Kano pipeline), local and regional demand would increase.

However, key challenges persist around gas utilisation and infrastructure development in Nigeria. An over-reliance on an illiquid power sector coupled with uncommercial pricing, uncertainties around changes in the fiscal framework, local community crisis (pipeline vandalisation), mismatch in currency (gas revenue in Naira versus costs in United States Dollar), Domestic Supply Obligation (DSO) gas pricing constraints and non-activation and implementation of gas contracts (especially in the power sector), periodic low international pricing and inadequate infrastructure to support full local and regional utilization; remain some of the many issues to tackle.

There are opportunities arising from ensuring a proper framework for the utilisation of gas. This includes the current effort by the Nigerian government to capture gas flared during routine operations through the National Flare Gas Commercialisation Programme initiated in 2016. There are also efforts to ensure a robust transmission pipeline network across the country and into the continent.

If you are to choose three events in life that had a high impact on your career development, which ones will these be?

My life and career journeys have been affected by both conscious and unconscious events. Three that stand out are:

First is my unplanned entry into the energy sector and then the various people who groomed me in the early years, which has been instrumental to my growth. I have deep respect for them, most men interestingly, as they never judged me and gave me the freedom to learn.

Twenty-eighteen was also a remarkable year in my career journey as it was a time when I decided to be intentional about my career. That year, I finally launch AWEDI Network to fill a gap that I had always known existed and felt deeply.

This year has been a unique year for me in many ways; while I have had various new opportunities show up even amidst the pandemic, it was the year I had to learn from other senior women in the sector the need to develop a thick skin to go far.

Four books that have been memorable recently are ‘Deep Work” by Cal Newport to focus on my goals and achieve them, “How will you measure your life” by Christian Christensen which has helped me gain clarity on my priorities, “Lean In” by Sheryl Sanberg which continues to remind me that beyond every external factor that might try to hold me down, there are steps we can take to show up and wholly be present and most recently “The Secrets of six-figure women” by Barbara Stanny which reminds me to ‘release my powerful self”.

What is the future of AWEDI?

Our mission has always been to encourage and unite women in energy by offering a guiding platform for their progress in the industry. We intend to continue being a leading voice for women in the energy sector across Africa and globally.

In the future, I see AWEDI as the portal through which future female leaders in the energy sector are trained, developed and connected to their peers and ultimately launched into the sector in countries across the continent to finally, achieve the dream of sustainable energy for all Africans.

How do you unwind?

It’s very important for me to stay physically healthy and I have always been relatively athletic. I work out at least three times a week most weeks. I used to go running and play tennis but haven’t done much of that recently – in fact I once considered playing lawn tennis professionally at 18.

At other times, a good book is very filling for me and audiobooks more recently. I am generally a keen traveller and explorer and love to explore new places.