2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

FORBESAFRICA.COM APRIL 2020 FORBES AFRICA| 33

LUCKYOKUDO,28,KENYA

FOUNDERANDCEO,WOMENINENERGY AND

EXTRACTIVEAFRICA(WEXAFRICA)

INDUSTRY:OIL,GASANDMINING

In2012,LuckyOkudofoundherselfata conferenceontheoutskirtsof

Nairobidiscussingenvironmentalsustainabilityandthestrategicrole

womenplay.

Atthesametime,ontheoppositeendofthecontinentintheNigerDelta

inNigeria,communitieswereprotestingthenegligenceinoperationsbyoil

companiesresultinginoilspills.

“Ivividlyremembernoticingthemendominantlyspeaking,butit was

thewomanperformingthebalancingactofherchildonherrighthipand

yamstofeeda familyonherheadthatwastheinspirationbehindWomen

inEnergy&ExtractivesAfricathatinitiallybeganasWomeninOilandGas

EastAfrica(WIOGEA)[nowknownasWEX],”shetellsFORBESAFRICA.

Ironically,duringthisperiod,oilhadn’tbeendiscoveredinKenyayet,

butOkudowasona mission,notknowingthatfatewouldknockonKenya’s

doorsmonthslaterin2012.

OilreserveswerediscoveredinKenya’svastanddryremoteareaof

TurkanaCountyandbecamea sourceofnewwealthanda sourceofconflict

forthepastoralistTurkanapeople,especiallythewomenwhowereoftenthe

marginalizedgroup.

PartofWEX'srolethenwastospeakforwomenintheenergyand

extractivesector,informingindustryparticipantsanddecision-makersof

thechallengesandopportunitieswomenarefindinginpursuingcareersin

thesesectors.

Todothis,Okudoparticipatedinmarketmeetingsandindustrybodies to

constantlyincreasethevisibilityoftheorganization.

Today,WEXAfricahas 15 employeesinfivecountriesandover 75

volunteersin 10 countriesandcounting.Atonly28,Okudohasalreadybeen

hailedpotentiallyasthenextFolorunsoAlakijaofAfrica.

CNNAfricaVoicesreferredtoheras“thewomanona missiontodisrupt

theenergysector”.

Shehasbeenrecognizedinternationallyandis a recipientofnumerous

ofawardsincludingPresidentUhuruKenyattashortlistingherin 2018 as

oneoftheyoungfemaleKenyantrailblazers,beingawardedtheUnder 30

WomeninEnergyEastAfrica(2018)andin2019,theKenyaUpstreamOil

andGasWomanoftheYear.

In2019,sheaddressedtheEconomicandSocialCouncilattheUnited

NationsHeadquartersinNewYork,accompanyingPresidentKenyattaas

partoftheKenyandelegationtotheUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly.

“The energy agenda being no different; under-utilized, overpriced, more

PATORANKING, 29, NIGERIA

MUSICIAN

INDUSTRY:ENTERTAINMENT

A quickGooglesearchforthebestdancehallartistsinAfrica,and

Patoranking’snameis suretopopup.

Hisbeatsarea uniqueblendofdancehall,reggaeandAfrobeats

combined,recognizablebothonthecontinentandtheglobalmusic

scene.

In 2016 and2017,hewasa judgeontheinternationally-

acclaimedrealitysingingcompetition,TheVoiceNigeria.

HewasalsoawardedMTVAfrica’sSongoftheYearforhitsong

MyWoman,MyEverythingin2016.

Thefollowingyear,hewascrownedBestAfricanArtistatthe

SouthAfricanMusicAwards(SAMA).

Internationally,hewasfeaturedonMajorLazer’sParticulahit

songalongsideNastyC,JidennaandIcePrincein2018.

Inthesameyear,hetraveledwithAmericansingerand

songwriterLaurynHillforTheMiseducationforLaurynHill

album’s20thanniversarytouracrossNorthAmericaasa special

guest.

Todate,Patorankinghasbeennominatedforover 40 awards

includingMaleArtistoftheYearandBestDancehall Artist, taking

home more than 20 awards for these categories.

thanhalfa billionAfricanslivingindarknessandexploitednatural

resourceswithlittletonoimpactfulgaintoindividualcountries,

peopleandcommunities.I ampassionateabouttheopportunitytoplay

a roleinfactoringa developmentdrivenbystrategicpartnerships,”she

says.

Okudositsonnumerousboardsadvisingtheirstrategicoperationsin

EastAfricaincludingBboxxKenya,theLondon-basednextgeneration

off-gridutilityplatformoperatingin 15 countriesdevelopingsolutionsfor

off-gridcommunitiesbyprovidingaffordable,pay-as-you-gosolarpower,

impactingovera millionpeople.

2020 is a bigyearforherassheplanstoorganizeSTEMoutreaches,

releasea children’sbookandpublishguidelinestosustainablyengaging

WomeninEnergyandExtractiveSectorProjectsinsub-SaharanAfrica.

Bytheendoftheyear,Okudo plans to set up offices in all their East

African satellite locations.

Photos supplied; Photo by Emily Nkanga