Adesuwa Igijo

Pioneering Nigerian entrepreneur driving Africa's renewable energy revolution through innovative microgrid solutions

Adesuwa Igijo is the CEO and co-founder of Africell Energy, a Nigerian company revolutionizing access to sustainable energy across Africa. Born in 1986, she pioneered the continent's first solar-powered microgrid-as-a-service model, providing affordable renewable energy solutions to 500,000+ people in off-grid communities by 2023. Her work directly addresses the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), making her a key figure in Africa's energy transition.

Through her Green Power Alliance initiative, Igijo created Africa's largest network of women energy entrepreneurs, empowering over 3,000 female engineers and technicians. Her innovative pay-as-you-go solar home systems reduced energy costs by 40% for rural households while cutting carbon emissions by 250,000+ tons annually. Recognized as one of Africa's Top 100 Innovators (2022) and Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 (2021), her work exemplifies how technology and social enterprise can transform lives at scale.