Ola Williams is the Director of Energy, Africa, at the UK Department for Business and Trade (UKDBT)
Ola Williams is the Director of Energy, Africa, at the UK Department for Business and Trade (UKDBT). At the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) in Cape Town, the seasoned Energy & Green Economy expert, who brings nearly two decades of experience in multilateral trade, investment, and strategic partnerships within the energy sector speaks exclusively with Iheanyi Nwachukwu. Excerpts
What does your role as the UK’s Energy Sector Director in Africa entail?
My role is a bridge between the UK and African nations facilitating government-to-government “G2G”, government-to-business “G2B” and business-to-business “B2B” trade, investment and capacity building within the energy and green economy sector. This is largely driving investment from the UK into the African energy sector whilst working alongside host government to eliminate market access barriers to secure seamless technology and capacity transfer working with both private and public sector players in the UK and Africa.
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Tell us about the UK’s participation at this year’s Africa Energy Forum (AEF)
Objective for AEF 2025 is centred on further building on the UK government’s proposition and commitment as an equitable partner to Africa in delivering sustainable low carbon technology and integrated energy solutions to achieve universal success to affordable clean energy leading to sustainable economic growth across Africa.
Africa – what possibilities lie in the energy sector across the continent?
The African continent is an infinite basin of untapped resources with endless possibilities from human to natural resources. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), about 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity, accounting for nearly 80percent of the global total. The UK’s focus for the African energy sector is on Energy Integration ensuring all available viable existing natural resources are harnessed and maximized through impact investment and innovative technology to achieve universal access to affordable low-carbon electricity on the continent.
Why are African citizens still lacking access to reliable and affordable energy despite the continent’s rich energy resources? How can this be addressed by the UK in conjunction with African nations?
Energy poverty in Africa has created a critical development challenge for the continent which has direct effect on Africa’s stunted sustainable economic growth ambition. In the words of Ban Ki-moon “Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increase social equity, and environmental sustainability”.
Energy poverty does not only affect households and businesses, it also directly hampers productivity, innovation, competitiveness, and industrialisation. The continent’s industry, commerce, agriculture and transportation sectors are hampered by the insufficient and unreliable power supply. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Africa has the lowest per capita energy consumption of any region in the world, despite being rich in diverse energy resources and having nearly one-fifth of the world’s population.
Africa has the potential to overcome energy poverty by harnessing its abundant renewable energy sources. The continent has enough solar power capacity to generate up to 11,000 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, more than 20 times the current global demand. It also has significant wind power potential along its coasts and highlands. In addition, it has vast reserves of natural gas, that can be used more efficiently and cleanly with modern technologies.
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Addressing energy poverty in Africa presents a strategic opportunity that requires a concerted effort by African governments, international partners, and private sector actors which will aid Africa in improving its human development indicators, enhance resilience and boost economic growth potential.
The UK as an equitable partner of choice for African nations presents the opportunity to develop and implement clear strategies and policies that create an enabling environment for private sector participation, competition, and innovation within the African energy sector. The UK through our G2G programs with African nations provide financial and technical support for African energy projects while aligning our interventions with national priorities. UK businesses are leading the global charge in clean energy investment and technology innovation that leverage new technologies and business models while addressing specific African needs and challenges with the efficient use of Africa’s viable clean energy sources.
Through concerted technical capacity building intervention, the UK partners with African nations in improving governance, regulations and strengthen established institutions. The UK’s current energy integration proposition offer for Africa includes the diversification of the continent’s energy mix by mobilizing viable domestic resources, addressing environmental impacts, ensuring effective planning of the continents energy systems through enhancement of regional integration to promote energy efficiency and demand management across regions.
The UK is committed to supporting and working in equitable partnership with Africa on her efforts to end energy poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth.
What makes the UK a partner of choice for African governments? …Why should they partner with you?
The UK’s proposition is that of equitable partnerships between the UK and African nations where G2G relationship with every nation on the continent is built on mutual trust and peculiar nuances of each nation is featured in tailor made trade and investment agreements that are African-led and African-owned — with the UK as a committed partner that listens, supports, and delivers.
The UK is a leading investor in Africa with a proven track record in energy innovation, project finance and integration. Our capabilities are built on decades of experience now offered through strategic partnerships to African nations
Why are women in leadership roles important in the driving forward Africa’s ambition for universal access to electricity?
According to the World Bank, closing the gender gap in labour force participation could add $2.8 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2030.
The presence of women in leadership has been shown to enhance organisational performance, increase profitability, drive innovation, enhance collaboration, improve fairness, and foster inclusive workplace cultures. Women bring a different perspective into organisations and having a diverse perspective is a major key to executing a sustainably inclusive ambition.
As I stated earlier, 600 million people currently suffer from electricity deficit which means that they have no access to clean cooking facilities or reliable transportation which in turn has serious consequences for their health, education, income, and environment. It also means that they have limited access to information, communication, entertainment, and other services that require electricity.
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In delivering Africa’s ambition for universal access to electricity, an acute understanding and consideration of the immediate and future needs of all stakeholders inclusive of women and children is essential to secure the transformative shift required for the continent’s socio-economic and political landscape, a strategic imperative for Africa’s future. The need for more women in leadership positions across Africa is even more crucial as the continent undergoes rapid economic and social changes that demand inclusive and transformative leadership styles possessed by women.
Universal access from the lens of a woman is about transformative initiatives that deliver economic development for all, both immediate and the future. It is an approach that includes all possible areas of impacts such as health, environment and economic development opportunities for rural women thereby creating possible streams of income and better livelihoods for communities; “If you empower a woman, you empower a community”. With 60 percent of Africa’s population being youths, there must be a careful consideration of what a prosperous Africa looks like for our youths and girl child hence equal representation in corridors of leadership and power must be a priority for Africa. The race to further close the gender parity gap in Africa must intensify to ensure Africa can harness all available talents across both genders for a brighter and prosperous future; UBUNTU “I am because we are”.
How do you think businesses and governments can better get more women into infrastructure energy, engineering, and construction etc.?
Across these sectors, women are far from achieving parity in representation and face systemic challenges that prevent them from reaching leadership roles at scale. Businesses and government must develop a proactive and practical approach in resolving the distinct but systemic challenges preventing women from reaching leadership roles at scale within their organisations and across public offices in these sectors. Sustainable success remains the priority of every business and government hence ensuring there is equal representation across all levels of workforce and public office holders, not just senior positions but across levels which presents a feasible progressive career option for women in these sectors is a key to addressing this challenge.
A journey becomes more accessible if found relatable. It simply has to do with representation and the ability of the girl child/woman to see a mirror image of herself successfully leading and thriving from junior roles to leading positions within these sectors. There is the need to intensify the spotlighting of successful women in these male-dominated sectors; women must boldly share their success stories, and the intricacies required to balance career and home family responsibilities.
A commendable effort has gone and continues to go into promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) education to the girl child however, when it comes to career choices the more projected successful leadership images being seen across these industries are that of men which serves as an immediate barrier for a progressive career choice. It is getting the STEM education, creating opportunities for entry level positions and systemic designs to ensure accommodatable growth through the chain to managerial roles and on to C-suite positions by earlier identification of leadership potential, training for men and others in leading positions to serve as allies inclusive of formal mentoring and sponsorship programs to secure and ensure the retention of women in these sectors.
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What has been your experience throughout your career being a woman in the sector?
My journey within the sector has been largely positive however, I have had those moments where I’ve gotten the “does she know what she’s doing” look/attitude but then once proven one earns the respect. I have been quite fortunate, and I have benefitted from having great leaders at work “all male” who took interest in teaching me, working with me to identify and build my strengths and successes, encouraging me to spread my wings and soar. My experience has shaped me into the intentional leader I am today, I have been able and continue to teach, build on the strengths and extend opportunities for my teams to lead and shine at work. This has helped me build a legacy of impactful and successful mentorship amongst my team members.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is the tangible success impact I contribute across Africa through my role; changing lives and economic possibilities for Africans through access to affordable energy with the development, trade, and investment projects I deliver across the continent. Imagine driving through a dark region in a nation in Africa with children gathered around a firewood pit studying and several months later you drive through this same region and the children are studying with light bulbs in the shelter of their homes.
