Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has appointed Professor Chinwe Obuaku-Igwe as the Director-General and Special Envoy to the Governor on Climate Change and Renewable Energy.

The appointment was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, who said the decision was aimed at strengthening the state’s climate action and renewable energy agenda.

“Professor Obuaku-Igwe will operate directly under the Governor, with a mandate to drive high-level partnerships with multilateral agencies, investors, and global climate networks,” the statement read.

Her role will include coordinating the cross-sectoral implementation of Osun’s Climate Action Plan and renewable energy transition while ensuring that the state sustains its position as a leader in climate governance.

Before the appointment, Obuaku-Igwe had served as a consultant to the state government on Climate Change and Renewable Energy. During her tenure, she developed several policy documents, including the Osun Climate Action Plan, Climate Smart Investment Portfolio, Renewable Energy Policy, and Circular Economy Framework.

According to the statement, her work also involved representing Osun State at both international and national forums, such as COP28 in Azerbaijan and the Citizens Lobby Conference in Washington, DC, where she secured climate-linked investments.

The government noted that her initiatives had led to significant local impacts, including training more than 2,000 youths and women in circular economy and waste-to-wealth programmes, supporting the establishment of over 350 green small and medium enterprises, and formalising over 400 jobs in the recycling sector.

Other achievements listed include the creation of a recycling hub in partnership with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and Waste Swap, which processes large volumes of recyclables monthly, as well as the IMOLE Solar Lantern Campaign, which distributed over 10,000 solar lanterns to rural pupils.

The initiative, the government stated, improved access to lighting for education and reduced household energy costs in rural communities.

Professor Obuaku-Igwe’s appointment, the statement emphasised, reflects the state’s intent to consolidate its climate-smart governance policies and deepen renewable energy adoption across Osun State.