Nigeria power adviser to headline Sahara Group energy forum
Sahara Group’s upcoming Asharami Square forum will convene Nigerian policymakers and financiers to address the financing structures and policy frameworks needed to unlock capital for Africa's energy transition.
Sadiq Wanka, special adviser to Nigeria’s president on power infrastructure, will deliver the keynote address at the third Asharami Square forum in Lagos on July 22. The event, hosted by energy conglomerate Sahara Group at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, gathers policymakers, industry executives and investors. The primary objective is to translate debate over Africa’s energy transition into concrete financial and policy actions.
For market participants, the forum underscores the practical difficulties of financing sustainable energy in emerging markets. African economies are actively negotiating how to attract investment for infrastructure upgrades while simultaneously managing energy security and moving away from fossil fuels. The scheduled discussions will focus directly on the financing structures and policy frameworks required to unlock trapped capital.
The presence of top-level regulatory and financial figures indicates a targeted effort to bridge the gap between government strategy and private capital deployment. The post-keynote panel features Kemi Awodein, managing director of investment banking at Chapel Hill Denham, alongside Temitope George, chief executive of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission. They will be joined by Professor Abigail Ndisika of the University of Lagos and Adebiyi Olusolape, associate editor for Africa at Argus Media.
Sahara Group is using the platform to advocate for localized approaches to energy investment. “Africa’s energy future will be shaped by the strength of our partnerships and our ability to turn dialogue into action,” said Bethel Obioma, Sahara Group’s head of corporate communications. The company intends to steer decisions that directly shape policy, investment flows and long-term development.
Ejiro Gray, the conglomerate’s director of governance and sustainability, warned against applying standardized global templates to local markets. “Africa’s energy transition must be defined by solutions that reflect our unique realities,” Gray said. In addition to the core discussions, organisers will unveil the judging panel for the Asharami Square Energy Reporting Fellowship, a media initiative designed to improve public comprehension of the continent's energy transition mechanics.
