Women professionals from across Nigeria’s energy ecosystem gathered in Lagos on Saturday for the inaugural edition of Power Circle, a new networking and mentorship initiative designed to support the career growth of mid-career women in the energy sector.

Held at Brunch Bar Restaurant in Lagos, the event brought together 23 women from renewable energy, oil and gas, finance, development, and consulting for a focused conversation on career advancement, leadership, and navigating challenges within the industry.

Power Circle was conceptualised and founded by Tosin George and Eziagbor Osele, co-founders of EnergyHaus Africa, in collaboration with Watts Your Impact. Unlike traditional industry events, the gathering featured no keynote speeches, panel discussions, or formal presentations. Instead, participants engaged in an intimate discussion with a senior female executive, creating space for open and practical conversations about professional growth.

Speaking at the event, Tosin George, co-founder of EnergyHaus Africa and co-convener of Power Circle, said the initiative was created to address the lack of accessible mentorship and networking opportunities for women in the energy industry.

According to her, while Nigeria’s energy sector continues to expand through renewable energy investments, off-grid solutions, climate finance initiatives, and broader efforts to improve energy security, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions.

“Globally, women hold just 18 per cent of leadership roles in the energy sector, up from 13 per cent in 2015, but still below the economy-wide average of 25 per cent,” George said.

She noted that women account for only about one-third of the global renewable energy workforce and continue to face barriers in advancing into leadership and technical roles.

“The women are in the sector. The pipeline exists. We are creating the spaces to accelerate it,” she said.

George explained that Power Circle was designed to fill a gap left by conventional conferences and professional gatherings.

“There are conferences, panels and webinars, but the conversations that actually move careers forward are rarely happening in those spaces. Power Circle offers a more focused environment where those discussions can happen naturally,” she said.

She added that research has consistently shown that many women enter the energy sector but often encounter obstacles at the mid-career stage, including limited access to mentorship, professional networks and leadership opportunities.

“For women in Nigeria and across Africa, these challenges are often compounded by geography, cultural expectations and institutional structures that were not always designed with them in mind,” she said.

Co-founder of EnergyHaus Africa and co-convener of the initiative, Eziagbor Osele, highlighted the importance of informal networks in shaping professional careers.

“Access to influential networks has historically been unequal. Spaces like Power Circle are not intended to replace broader structural reforms, but they provide something immediate and practical. They create opportunities for peer learning, senior-level guidance and genuine connections that can help women advance their careers,” Osele said.

The organisers described the event as the first in a series of planned gatherings aimed at fostering stronger support systems for women in the energy sector.

According to George, there is no shortage of talented women working in energy across Africa, but there remains a need for more spaces dedicated to practical career-building conversations.

The organisers said their long-term vision is to expand Power Circle beyond Lagos to cities including Abuja, Port Harcourt, Accra and Nairobi, with the goal of creating a continent-wide network that supports and empowers mid-career women in energy.