By Cecilia Attah
In the wake of rising energy costs and the growing urgency of climate crisis, the British government has joined forces with Nigerian women entrepreneurs to promote renewable energy solutions that can slash operational costs and accelerate sustainable growth.
Through its Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonny Baxter, the UK reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s green development agenda at the second edition of W.O.M.A.N by Alitheia, held in Lagos.
The forum, which had the theme “Scaling Sustainable Manufacturing & Energy Transition for Women-led SMEs in Africa,” brought together Industry leaders, energy experts, women entrepreneurs, and investors to explore pathways for overcoming Nigeria’s energy challenges.
“We are proud to collaborate with Alitheia Capital on W.O.M.A.N. (Women in Manufacturing, Agribusiness, and Nutrition) to drive Africa’s green industrial future. We recognise the indispensable role of women in this transition and are committed to expanding access to capital and capability to ensure sustainable growth.
“This event reflects our shared vision for inclusive and transformative development, and we are committed to supporting this journey through targeted investments and strategic private partnerships,” Baxter said.
Speaking during the event, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alitheia Capital, Tokunboh Ishmael, stressed the economic imperative of clean energy for women-led businesses.
“We are no longer just talking about sustainability as a nice-to-have. It’s an economic imperative, especially for women entrepreneurs at the heart of Nigeria’s industrial transformation and through W.O.M.A.N by Alitheia, we’re not only spotlighting solutions—we’re scaling them. In our own portfolio, we’ve seen up to a 60% reduction in energy costs among businesses that have adopted clean energy. This is proof that green transition is not only possible but profitable,” she said.
The event also featured panel discussions with key industry players such as Yemisi Iranloye (CEO, Psaltry), Affiong Williams (CEO, ReelFruit), Temilola Adepetun (MD, SKLD), James Fabola (CFO, Arnergy), Bukola Badmos (ED & CFO, Starsight Energy), and Sarah Ogbewey (Sterling Bank).
Highlights of the event included the launch of Nzinga, a new SME capacity-building platform, and Manufacturing Africa unveiled its Green Business Building (GBB) accelerator, which aims to drive the growth of green businesses and create climate-resilient jobs, especially among women-led enterprises central to Nigeria’s sustainable industrial future.
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