Raised in the West African petro-state of Nigeria, Esther has a deep appreciation for the difficulty of rural electrification and understands the imperative of energy sustainability. As a young energy professional, she is determined to bring the Equinox vision of off-grid energy access alive.
During September 30th and October 13th 2012, Esther was invited by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology (StMWIVT) to represent her home country at the Expert Information Seminar “Renewable Energies for Ghana, Nigeria and The Gambia” hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The two-week workshop saw exchange between the twelve select regional representatives, Esther included, and clean energy technology experts from the state of Bavaria. Participants were also taken on a training excursion which allowed them to visit local renewable initiatives and enterprises, and gain a practical insight into the application of various energy technologies. Esther also took the opportunity to present the Equinox Blueprint: Energy 2030 to the other participants.
“The program entailed an intensive training, excursions and knowledge transfer on renewable energy technologies in Bavaria. Particularly the training provided me an in-depth knowledge of the practical side of the Equinox Summit”, said Esther.
Immediately after the GIZ workshop, Esther traveled back to the Ogun State in Nigeria to attend the Nigerian Alternative Energy Expo, an event in which the clean energy initiative she was involved in — Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) — was nominated as the finalist for the “Most Innovative Project” at the Nigerian Energy Awards. Called “Okobaba Sawdust Waste to Wealth Initiative” (SEED award winning project, 2011), this local project aims to convert sawdust waste from mills in Lagos into useful briquettes.
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