Special Adviser on Energy to Nigeria’s President, Olu Verheijen, called for a transformative shift in Africa’s energy workforce, with the need to cultivate a new generation of talented people, particularly young people and women, to drive Africa’s industrialisation.

She stated this, on Tuesday, in her opening address during the African Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa.

Verheijen urged African leaders to look beyond traditional hiring practices and instead attract individuals who are not only skilled but also driven by the boldness and creativity needed to confront the sector’s challenges in the 21st century.

She said that such a workforce could ensure that energy in Africa transitions from being a constraint to a powerful tool for driving industrialisation and sustainable development across the continent.

According to her, it will take incredible amounts of human energy and a diversity of talents and expertise to enable us to adapt to these rapidly evolving and often unpredictable scenarios and circumstances.

She said that, as Africans, despite abundant resources, including renewables, over 75 per cent of the population still lack sufficient energy access.

Verheijen said one approach is to build a productive energy workforce by welcoming diverse talent, particularly women and youths with global perspectives and a 21st-century understanding as they bring fresh ideas, and bold energy to design and implement innovative solutions for longstanding challenges.

She said: “While efforts to attract women into STEM and the energy sector are important, attraction alone isn’t enough, retention and advancement to senior levels are equally crucial.

“The real differentiator for women breaking through from mid-level to executive roles is sponsorship. Women need powerful advocates who actively support their growth and position them for opportunities and ensure their representation at the highest levels.”

She stressed that sponsorship makes a great deal of difference as this is what has allowed male leaders to dominate many leadership positions in the public and private sectors in Africa today.