Suspended as MD of REA in Nigeria, Ogunbiyi takes up UN job

The suspended Managing Director of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, Damilola Ogunbiyi, has resumed duties at the United Nations.
Ogunbiyi was suspended by the Minister of Power, Mamman Saleh, on December 24, 2019.
A statement said following some apparent infractions in the agency, Mamman directed Ogunbiyi to proceed on indefinite suspension with immediate effect.
However, Ogunbiyi had in October 2019 been appointed the UN’s Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sustainable Energy, Co-Chair of UN Energy and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All.
In a statement to mark her resumption, Ogunbiyi said she was passionate about her responsibilities of helping global citizens embrace sustainable energy in line with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
She said: “As we begin this new decade, we are far from achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 7, that promises sustainable energy for all. Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Around the world, close to a billion people are being robbed of the chance to live in a dignified, healthy way because they have no access to energy. This crisis has gone on for too long.
“Throughout my career, I have witnessed the transformative effect that bringing energy to people can have. I have seen how energy access can give children the chance for much better education, and for their parents to build prosperous, fulfilling lives. With just 10 years left to 2030, the challenge ahead of us is enormous. But we are ready to meet this challenge head-on. We will raise ambition. We will enable change on the ground. We will build networks and partnerships.”