Winners have emerged in the 2017 Future Energy Nigeria Industry Awards, formerly known as the West African Power Industry Awards, at the Future Energy Nigeria conference and exhibition in Lagos.
The event brought together 150 of Nigeria’s most renowned power professionals to recognise and celebrate the leading industry pioneers and projects in four different categories.
The Future Energy Nigeria Industry Awards 2017:
Community Initiative Award
Winner: Ajima Farms and General Enterprises Nigeria Limited
“Ajima Farms Waste-2-Watt Project is honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Community Initiative Award. Our journey to get more communities electrified via clean energy is just starting but we are optimistic for what the future holds and we envisage continuous collaborative partnerships with the target communities.”
– Ms. Fatima Ademoh – Founder, Waste-2-Watt.
Waste-2-Watt (W2W) is a renewable energy project by Ajima Farms and General Enterprises Nigeria Limited that focuses on converting agricultural waste (poultry, livestock, crop waste) and communal waste (kitchen and human wastes) into electricity, cooking fuel using a bio-gas digester for off-grid farming communities at an affordable cost. Through this service, Ajima Farms provides cheaper access to clean energy and create jobs for the residents of these communities, stimulate economic growth while reducing the environmental problems that land filling this waste would have otherwise created. W2W is currently servicing two off-grid communities namely Rije and Kuyizhi in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Ajima Farms has profiled over 260 off-grid communities with similar needs and is currently conducting feasibility studies to deploy the solutions to the target communities; they aim to power 25 more off-grid agricultural communities which will provide electricity for an estimated 2,750 homes; 22,000 people and 250 businesses over the next three years.Waste-2-Watt is not a CSR project it is a social enterprise division of Ajima Farms with a vision to transform off-grid communities by expanding energy access for socio-economic development.
Energy Reporter of the Year
Winner: Emeka Anuforo, Senior Science and Energy Journalist, Abuja Bureau, The Guardian
Emeka Anuforo is a leading energy reporter in Nigeria, having covered the energy beat in Nigeria for over 15 years. In that time he has helped to shape energy policies through his thought pieces and held government and private sector accountable for ensuring energy access for millions of Nigerians. His articles and thought pieces are heavily syndicated and he is held in the highest regard by other journalists, by government officials and policy makers and by a significant section of the private sector. Emeka is currently on a short leave of absence and working for the African Development Bank’s Communications and External Relations Department.
“I am honoured to receive the Energy Reporter of the Year award in recognition of my work as a senior energy correspondent for The Guardian in Nigeria. I am passionate about the energy sector in Nigeria. We have huge potential for renewable energy on the continent and I hope we see that potential tapped in my lifetime for the benefit of all.
Like energy, investigative journalism is critical to the Africa of our dreams. I take this opportunity to call for greater support for science and energy journalism in Africa. I would also like to pass a message to young journalists not to give up on their dreams, to keep writing, because this award shows that hard work and perseverance pays off. I would like to thank my editors and mentors over the years and, of course, Future Energy Nigeria for naming me Energy Reporter of the Year 2016-2017.”
– Emeka Anuforo
Award for Outstanding Contribution: Power
Winner: Daniel Chimaobi
“Winning is a wonderful feeling.
It feels great to be honoured for my contribution to the power sector in Nigeria. Every great feat, however, is an accumulation of smaller feats. Seize the little moments, give everything your best shot, never say never and the world will celebrate you.”
– Daniel Chimaobi
At age 30, Daniel Chimaobi NNA holds a Bachelor and Master of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and also an MBA from the prestigious University of Lagos, Nigeria. A member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, he is the host of the first ever energy programme premier on the first university radio station in Nigeria, UNILAG Radio 103.1 FM since October 2013 till date with a community reach of over 40,000 students, management and teaching staff.
The program creates awareness, educates and provides advisory to the public on energy issues especially renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy conservation. He is also involved in the training and mentoring of about 200 higher institution students on energy related matters and provides guidance for the identification of energy related problems within university communities and innovative solutions to solve peculiar energy problems. Presently, he is a Research Officer at the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Energy Commission of Nigeria.
Outstanding Energy Project Award
Winner: Lumos Global
“Lumos Nigeria would like to extend our sincere thanks to Future Energy Nigeria for the recognition embodied in the ‘Outstanding Energy Project Award’. Our success to date is just the beginning of our journey and is the result of a great partnership with MTN.
Lumos is committed to bringing light to millions of Nigerians, providing affordable, reliable and renewable energy to homes and businesses. Inspired by the mobile revolution, we strive to become for the renewable energy sector what the mobile phone is for the communications.”
– Yuri Tsitrinbaum, CEO of Lumos Nigeria.
Lumos Global has created the technology for a ‘home power station in a box’, which includes a solar panel activated by text messaging, that can supply sufficient clean, off-grid electricity for households and small to medium businesses in developing countries. The Lumos enterprise is widely praised for its innovative character, improving the standard of living for people in Nigeria and soon in many other locations around the globe. Lumos has also just announced its expansion plans into East Africa.
Best custom stand
The winner of the best custom stand at the Future Energy Nigeria exhibition was Skipper Nigeria Limited.
Future Energy Nigeria is organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, real estate, energy, mining, agriculture and education sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include African Utility Week, Future Energy East Africa (formerly EAPIC), Future Energy Central Africa (formerly iPAD Cameroon), Future Energy Uganda, Agritech Expo Zambia, Kenya Mining Forum, Nigeria Mining Week and DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group.
