Women in STEM

Meet Damilola

Damilola Ogunbiyi was born in 1975 in Nigeria. She grew up in Ibadan and was raised by her mother, a schoolteacher. Ogunbiyi completed her secondary education at the International School, Ibadan, before proceeding to the University of Ilorin, where she studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

Her leadership and advocacy have helped bring sustainable energy to rural communities in Nigeria and beyond. Her work to promote women in STEM and energy has inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps. In this article, we will explore the rise of Damilola Ogunbiyi and the impact she has made in renewable energy.

Early Life And Education Of Damilola Ogunbiyi

In 1975, Damilola Ogunbiyi was born in Nigeria and raised in Ibadan by her mother. Before enrolling at the University of Ilorin, Ogunbiyi attended the International School, Ibadan, where she studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

She later obtained a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Her educational background in engineering and public administration laid the foundation for her career in the energy sector.

The Rise Of Damilola Ogunbiyi’s Energy Sector

In addition to driving sustainable development and expanding access to clean, reliable energy in Africa, Damilola Ogunbiyi is also a trailblazer in that field. With extraordinary leadership, innovation, and passion, her rise to prominence in energy access has been remarkable.

Ogunbiyi has held several positions, including being the CEO of the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency, UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All, and Manager of the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency.

She has contributed significantly to promoting renewable energy, carbon reductions, and gender equality in the energy sector through her leadership. She continues to inspire and motivate young energy leaders to pursue their dreams.

Impact At The Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency

As CEO of the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency, Damilola Ogunbiyi made significant contributions to the energy sector, driving initiatives to increase energy access in rural communities across Nigeria.

Her leadership, dedication, and innovative approach characterized her impact at the agency to implement sustainable energy solutions.

Over 1000 rural electrification projects have been developed due to Ogunbiyi’s work, affecting millions of lives and businesses. In the energy sector, her legacy continues to inspire others. The Rise of Damilola Ogunbiyi showcases her unwavering commitment to ensuring Nigeria and beyond access to clean, affordable energy.

Role As UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy

During her UN Special Representative role for Sustainable Energy, Damilola Ogunbiyi helped drive global efforts toward achieving sustainable energy. As a result of her appointment in 2019, she immediately seized the opportunity to promote renewable and affordable energy solutions.

Through her tenure, Ogunbiyi developed and implemented policies and programs to expand access to sustainable energy in underserved communities in collaboration with governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders. She helped raise awareness of sustainable energy and mobilized resources to support initiatives in countries across Africa and beyond.

The Rise of Damilola Ogunbiyi as the UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy expands her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable development.

ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN IN STEM AND ENERGY

As a champion for gender equality, Damilola Ogunbiyi has strongly advocated for women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and the energy sector. Through her leadership positions, Ogunbiyi has worked tirelessly to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the industry and has actively encouraged women to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.

She believes empowering women and girls is crucial to achieving sustainable development and ending poverty. She has made it a priority to create opportunities for women in the energy sector.

At the 2018 Africa Energy Forum, Ogunbiyi won the Global Fairness Award and Women’s Economic Empowerment Award for her advocacy efforts. The inspirational work of her is an inspiration to female STEM and energy leaders and reinforces the importance of promoting gender equality.

Recognition And Awards For Damilola Ogunbiyi Work

Damilola Ogunbiyi’s impressive achievements in the energy sector have not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by her numerous awards and accolades. Several international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and the African Development Bank, have recognized her work.

Ogunbiyi has been named one of Fortune’s 50 Greatest World Leaders and honored with the African Power, Energy & Water Industry Award for outstanding contribution to the sector. In addition, she was recognized as one of the 100 most influential Africans by New African Magazine in 2019.

For Sustainable Energy Under Ogunbiyi’s Leadership

Under Damilola Ogunbiyi’s leadership, the future of sustainable energy in Africa looks promising. Ogunbiyi has been a strong advocate for expanding access to clean energy sources and has worked to promote the adoption of renewable energy technologies across the continent.

Through her leadership roles at the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency and the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, she has implemented innovative programs and initiatives to increase energy access in rural communities, promote clean energy solutions, and foster sustainable development.

Ogunbiyi has also been instrumental in promoting private sector investment in the energy sector, creating opportunities for local entrepreneurs and businesses, and driving economic growth. Her vision for sustainable energy in Africa emphasizes the importance of community engagement and empowerment and the need for a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to achieve sustainable development goals.

Under Ogunbiyi’s leadership, sustainable energy is set to drive development and progress in Africa.

Conclusion

As a trailblazer for women in renewable energy, Damilola Ogunbiyi has achieved remarkable success in the energy sector.

Also, she has contributed to the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency and Sustainable Energy for All Initiative by providing sustainable energy. In her vision of sustainable energy for Africa, Ogunbiyi’s leadership will undoubtedly shape its future.

Aspiring leaders can learn valuable lessons from Ogunbiyi’s journey, including the importance of education, perseverance, and advocating for marginalized communities. Ogunbiyi’s work has shown that positive change in the energy sector is possible with determination and a commitment to sustainability.

Life they say is a series of building, and there is no good innovation without human impact. It takes a certain level of bravery to dare to be different and thrive in the STEM sector. Multi-award winning social innovator Amanda Obidike is one of the women breaking boundaries in STEM globally.

The technologist and scientist is the founding curator of the WEF Global Shapers, Ozubulu Hub and Executive Director of STEMi Makers Africa. Her role in this position is to provide leadership, strategy management and oversee the design and implementation of sustainable Community projects and STEM Education across 19 Sub-Saharan countries by preparing the next generation of Africans with STEM lucrative skills for Africa’s workforce.

In addition to STEM, she addresses thematic topics on Social Innovation, Data Science, Youth Development, Entrepreneurship and socio-economic policies. In 2020, Amanda received several awards including the Global Award for Achievement by TechWomen 100 and 30 Under 30 Inspiring Leaders of Africa.

Amanda got an opportunity to be trained by IBM in Business Intelligence/Analytics after 8 months. Upon completion, she took the initiative to serve as a knowledge panel in preparing Africans with 21st-century skills and future-focused options for an emerging workforce.

This was her inspiration, her driving force to starting STEMi Makers Africa.

She serves as a Mentor in the New York Academy of Science, Cherie Blair Foundation, the 1 million Women in Tech, Global thinkers for Women where she lends her voice, knowledge, and serve as a role model to girls in Africa.

She currently serves on the Leadership Team of the 500 Women Scientists, USA and Trustee Board of the MAI Foundation. The amazing amazon shares her inspiring story with Women of Rubies

Childhood Influence

I never had a background in Technology and Engineering. I have always dreamed of one day leading currency operations in the Central Bank of Nigeria. Growing up, I was a curious, adventurous, and daring girl. I went to different secondary schools cutting across 3 different geopolitical zones in Nigeria, gave myself to community volunteering, travelling, and learning how to do business.

Inspiration behind STEMi Makers Africa

STEMi Makers Africa emerged when I suffered underemployment and depression in 2O18. The meaningful and lucrative jobs available required technical skills that I didn’t originally have after graduation. Nigeria also began to transfer major resources and job opportunities to skilled professionals and expatriates due to a lack of competent and domestic STEM workforce.

STEMi Makers Africa was founded to address the leaky unemployment pipeline and break the wall of Inheriting fragmented and disconnected education institutions in Africa.

If current trends continue, by 2050 some one-third of Africa’s one billion young people will lack basic proficiency in math, reading, and STEM subjects. Millions will be unemployable and unproductive. To remain competitive in a growing global economy where 96% of jobs are now automated, we are raising African talents and achievement in STEM Subjects, and Skills of the Future by empowering Educators, marginalized communities and students to be self-reliant or effectively transition from education to employment.

Impact and testimonials since inception

STEMi Makers Africa is a non-profit organization that builds diverse African talents with lucrative STEM resources, skills and currently designed a national innovation base that supports key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, energy, healthcare, information and communication technologies, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

We have maintained one of the greatest strategies in helping 78+ communities in 19 African countries and 30,000+ young people develop job skills, improve educational outcomes, provide opportunities to succeed and we are planning ahead not to leave the younger generation feeling displaced and inheriting a more fragmented world than we live in today. Through our innovative approach to education and capacity building, we emerged winners of the 2021 Stroeous award for Global positive Impact on Innovative Solution, became a Falling Walls Berlin Engage Finalist for Breakthrough of the Year in the Digital Education category, 2020.

Just recently, one of our Educators who was a recipient to our first STEM Integration training for Educators got accepted for a 4 year USA Teacher Exchange Fellowship, which is renewable. We recorded 51 Internship and job positions for our project Kuongoza mentees program alone for 2O21.

Journey so far

The journey has been rocky, yet tremendous. There are times we get concerned about resources, partnerships, effectively managing operations across other African countries, but we keep pushing and leaving an indelible mark that can one day inspire esteemed organizations to collaborate with us.

Managing it all

My dear! (laughs)

I believe it’s due to the value I bring and the confidence people have in me. Majority of what I represent sprung from people’s recommendations, and organization appointments. I count it an honor and do my best to serve in the best capacity I can.

Awards and recognition

I was given the Global Award for Achievement by TechWomen 100, in recognition of leading the way for future generations of tech talent, shaping the future of the technology industry and having a responsibility as a role model to share my experiences, laying the foundations for others to follow in the wake of technology. My driving force as an African woman who was under-employed and depressed is to Build an “Africa By Us, For Us” ecosystem that prepares diverse young talents with future-focused options in STEM lucrative pathways to become more experienced for Africa’s workforce. As a social innovator, I strengthen competencies, empower the next generation of Technologists, Engineers, and Innovators by training Educators with new, research-based instructional pedagogy, hands-on resource tools to ensure their students are allowed to solve ill-defined problems, make real-world connections while deepening their content knowledge and preparing them for STEM careers.

Kuongoza Mentoring Program

Our Project Kuongoza Mentoring Program has made significant strides and supported 195O+ women aged 15-35 access new markets, work flexibly and integrate these learned skills needed for the workplace – after being mentored.

Second, the STEM Integration for Educators as an ongoing partnership with the U.S Consulate General to cultivate a STEM Workforce, streamline STEM Education and refine Educator’s instructional pedagogy where students are allowed to solve ill-defined problems, make real-world connections while deepening content knowledge and preparing them for STEM careers. We have further inculcated these educator projects across Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Cameroon.

Representation of women and girls in STEM

Women make up half of the total of Nigeria’s college-educated workforce, but only 11% of the technology and engineering workforce are women. Research shows that girls start doubting their STEM intelligence by age 6 and continue to lose confidence as classes become less gender-balanced and more intimidating. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that parents, educators, allies and we as a community must work together to show girls that no subject is off-limits simply because of their gender. Women and girls remain underrepresented in STEM and this is why we combine proper preparation in middle, high schools and universities, offer hands-on resources and opportunities, and provide young girls in Africa with women role models and subject matter experts in STEM.

Challenges

Resources like human resources, resource tools, access to investment and partnerships.

Other projects and activities

Mentoring Support:- Since 2016, I mentor at the New York Academy of Science, Cherie Blair Foundation, Global Thinkers Forum where I offer mentees academic, business support and invaluable life skills to thrive.

Policies:- In addressing policy concerns that revolve around governance and public administration, I serve as Assistant Director in Public Relations to the Nigerian Global Affairs Council.

Children Development and building:- I offer psychosocial development support and community management in the Royalty Children’s Network.

Gender Issues:- I offer pro-bono technology services to women Entrepreneurs, to help them incubate, innovate and commercialize their ideas and also serve on the 500 Women Scientists Team.

3 women who inspire me and why

Tobiloba Ajayi is transforming the face of cerebral palsy in Africa through advocacy, counselling, capacity building, referral services, and educator training. I am inspired by the work she does in the Let the CP Kids Learn, a foundation she founded out of a desire to change the prevalent narrative about the intellectual capabilities of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is showing us that it is possible to dream, and excel. She became the first woman and African to be Director-general of the WTO in March 2021

Melania Trump continues to serve as an ardent advocate for children and devotes her time and efforts to helping young people navigate the many issues they face in an ever-changing society. In 2018, she announced BE BEST, an awareness campaign that strives to promote a world for children based on healthy living, kindness, and respect.

Nuggets on how to be successful in STEM as a woman

Be fearless. Be free to Dream. Be free to collaborate. Be free to ask questions. Be free to excel and Be free to succeed.
There may be hurdles in the journey but please maintain focus. STEM is a wonderful decision anyone can make. Feel free to reach out to the peers you admire or professionals in STEM who could share their stories, tips and advice that can help you in the field.
Get yourself a mentor and advisor.
Volunteer with community led organizations who are driving STEM Education.
We need more women in STEM fields. ILO stated that Women are 30% more likely than men to lose their job as a consequence of automation and low STEM skills.
There is a lot we can do in this field for our better livelihood, economy and improving retention of young women in STEM Careers.

Being a Woman of Rubies

Proverbs 31:10 says “Who can find a virtuous and capable woman? She is more precious than rubies.” A Woman of Rubies is full of wisdom and strength. She is an enabler, a teacher, a friend, a community mobilizer, tenacious and kind. Yes, I am a Woman of Rubies.

You can reach out to Amanda via the links below

Twitter @amandachirpy

Instagram @amandachirpy

Linkedin Amanda Obidike

Facebook Amanda Obidike