International Women’s Day is a call to accelerate action, and Guardian Life Magazine’s cover story celebrates three trailblazing women who are reshaping Nigeria’s renewable energy revolution. All On—an impact investment company focused on the renewable energy sector, proudly woman-led and supported by a gender-balanced board and management team that actively includes women-driven businesses—has united these innovators, enabling them to transform personal challenges into groundbreaking solutions that energise communities across the nation.
For years, Prisca Ezuzu, the CEO of Enerplaz Paygo Solutions; Damilola Asaleye, the co-founder and COO of Ashdam Solar; and Natasha Ibori, co-founder of Uwana Energy, have reimagined what’s possible in an industry fraught with obstacles. Beyond providing technical support, their partnership with female-led All On Partnerships for Energy Access (All On) has instilled stability, credibility, and a clear path to transformative growth.
Formed in 2016 by Shell as an independent non-profit organisation, All On has focused on investing in the off-grid energy sector to accelerate access to power in unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria, with special focus on the Niger Delta, where women play pivotal roles in that plan. Its board and management team are gender balanced, impacting the active inclusion of women-driven businesses in its community.
“All On’s partnership with us has helped us in no small way,” Prisca says. All On has enabled her to empower hundreds of businesses and bring reliable, renewable energy to underserved areas.
Similarly, Damilola credits All On with catalysing her journey. Winning the All On Off-Grid Energy Challenge allowed her to deploy her first mini-grid, hone her technical skills, and deliver reliable renewable energy to communities long plagued by scarcity. “Our partnership with All On has impacted Ashdam Solar in tremendous ways,” Damilola explains, sharing how the organisation’s critical strategic support has been instrumental in her evolution as a leader in the sector.
For Natasha, All On has been the “biggest supporter.” Her company, now a one-stop shop offering tailored energy solutions, flexible financing, and seamless installations, exemplifies how innovation can make solar energy accessible for all.
PRISCA EZUZU
CEO, Enerplaz PayGo Solutions
Over 15 years ago, Prisca Ezuzu turned a long-standing power crisis into a practical renewable energy solution. Through her company, Enerplaz Paygo Solutions, she introduced a flexible, pay-as-you-go system that now delivers reliable energy to Nigerian homes and businesses.
The dream that birthed Enerplaz Paygo began during an extended blackout that left her community battling sweltering heat and darkness. “We were in total blackout for several months, and the heat was unbearable, so I kept thinking of how to solve that problem for myself,” she recalls.
Refusing to accept endless power cuts, Prisca began testing every available option, from rechargeable lights to ways of extending battery life. “I experimented with a lot of things before I eventually settled on renewables,” she explains.
This relentless search led her to a practical breakthrough: harnessing renewable energy to charge essential devices, power cooling devices, and bring much-needed light to her home.
“When I got the solution to my problem, I saw that other people had the same issue,” she says. Realising that her solution could benefit others facing similar challenges and address a widespread crisis, Prisca founded Enerplaz Paygo Solutions.
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The idea was straightforward: provide renewable energy with an affordable pricing model so that households and small businesses could avoid the high upfront costs usually required for such traditional systems.
A key turning point came with her partnership with All On. “All On’s partnership with us has helped us in no small way,” she notes. Its support enabled Enerplaz to empower over 290 businesses in the Niger Delta, delivering both stability and measurable environmental benefits—saving roughly 4.7 metric tons of carbon emissions per individual on average.
Prisca’s journey, however, has not been without its challenges. “Being a woman CEO in the energy space is very daunting and challenging,” she admits, noting the extra effort required to prove her worth in business negotiations and to secure necessary funding.
Despite these hurdles, she remains focused on paving the way for future women leaders. “If the educational sector is restructured to excite young women, we can spark the desire to learn more about energy,” she advises.
Through her innovative PAYGO model, she not only provides practical energy solutions but also inspires future women leaders. “I love playing in the energy space,” she concludes.
DAMILOLA ASALEYE
Co-founder,COO, Ashdam Solar
At 13, Damilola Asaleye witnessed a tragedy during a forced fuel scarcity crisis that ignited her passion for change.
“There was forced scarcity at that time, and a lot of people were queuing for petrol. A family member of mine was cooking in our kitchen, not knowing that somebody had stored petrol at the back of our kitchen. And boom, she died. And she had a small child,” she recalls.
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That early loss made her question Nigeria’s overreliance on fossil fuels and the dangerous consequences of market manipulation. It was a moment that sparked her determination to find a safer, more reliable source of energy. “I couldn’t understand what the problem was, but I just knew right from then that this is a problem I wanted to solve,” she says. Now, as CEO of Ashdam Solar, she transforms energy poverty into opportunity — empowering communities and thousands of women through renewable solutions and capacity building.
Determined to make a difference, Damilola pursued a degree in physics with solar energy, a decision fuelled by her desire to tackle energy poverty head-on. “[With] solar energy, I wanted to solve energy poverty,” she explains.
Immediately after graduating, Damilola co-founded Ashdam Solar in 2007. In a male-dominated industry, she often had to prove her worth. “When someone asked for the man in charge, I simply said, ‘I’m the woman in charge,’” she asserts. That resolve not only helped her overcome skepticism but also laid the groundwork for a company committed to practical energy solutions and the empowerment of women.
At Ashdam Solar, the mission extends beyond providing renewable energy solutions. The company has empowered over 6,000 girls and 500 women through targeted training programmes, nurturing a new generation of skilled energy managers.
“We focus a lot on empowering women through capacity building,” Damilola says. The company’s efforts range from deploying mini-grids in communities isolated from the national grid to refining operational processes through strategic support.
Her partnership with All On has been pivotal, she says, citing the USADF All On Off-Grid Energy Challenge where Ashdam Solar won $100,000 that enabled her team to deploy their first mini-grid and elevate their expertise.
For young women stepping into this space, she offers clear advice: “Don’t doubt yourself. You are unlimited. Develop your skills, stay consistent, and know that challenges can be overcome.”
Damilola envisions a future where solar energy decentralises power access for even the most remote communities. “Women are energy managers; they are the ones who decide how energy is used at home,” she notes, highlighting the critical need for inclusive policies and dedicated financing for women-led ventures.
NATASHA IBORI
Co-founder, Uwana Energy
For Natasha Ibori, simplifying solar energy isn’t just business—it’s a mission. As co-founder of Uwana Energy, she turns technical complexities into accessible, flexible financing and installation solutions, ensuring that every Nigerian can embrace renewable energy without the hassle.
When Natasha returned to Nigeria after finishing her master’s degree at King’s College London, she was overwhelmed by the technical jargon surrounding solar energy. “I was immediately bombarded with all this technical information,” she recalls. Determined to change that narrative, she set out to create a solar solution that stripped away the complexity and made sustainability easy to understand—even for those without a technical background.
At Uwana Energy, Natasha and her team offer a one-stop shop for all solar needs. They began with a tailored energy audit, matching customers’ budgets with the perfect combination of solar products, and followed up with flexible financing and seamless installations.
“If I can understand what our customer service people are trying to explain, then honestly anybody can,” she explains. This straightforward approach allows clients to switch to renewable energy without worrying about confusing technical details or high upfront costs.
A turning point for Natasha was partnering with non-profit initiatives like Dreams from the Slum, where they solar-powered dozens of small businesses in Ajegunle. “For me, it is waking up every day and having that statistic in the back of your head that less than 2% of businesses headed by women get institutional funding,” she says. That statistic fuels her drive to ensure that brilliant women-led startups—and the communities they serve—are not sidelined by funding disparities.
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Her journey with All On has been instrumental in Uwana Energy’s growth. “All On has really been our biggest supporter,” Natasha affirms. Its backing has provided access to much-needed funding, technical assistance, and strategic support, enabling her team to transition from a hardware-focused startup to a comprehensive solar solutions provider.
With access to marketing support, strategy sessions, and a collaborative hub, Uwana Energy has streamlined its processes and expanded its reach across southern Nigeria.
Looking ahead, Natasha is clear about Uwana Energy’s role in driving innovation in Nigeria’s renewable sector. “In the next 5 to 10 years, we really do want to be that company that is actually advancing innovation,” she explains. “We’re here to make solar energy accessible for everyone.”
By building technology products that streamline solar processes and partnering with over 150 solar companies and numerous financiers nationwide, Uwana Energy is set to redefine how Nigerians access and finance solar energy.
Together, these stories reaffirm a powerful message: that with the right support, resilience, innovative thinking, and visionary partnerships like those with All On, women can lead the charge in reshaping Nigeria’s sustainable energy revolution. Their journeys remind us that accelerating action is more than a theme for Women’s Day; it proves what can be achieved when action and empowerment converge on a mission to light up lives.
Watch the full All On Women in Energy feature on YouTube.
