Petroleum Africa
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Monday, March 4, 2019
Leading off-grid utilities provider Winch Energy, today announces it has appointed highly respected African energy expert Mrs. Olga Johnson as an Ambassador for Africa. Franco-Beninese Olga Johnson is a true expert in her field and one of the figures of the diaspora that stands out both in France and on the continent. She was Executive Director of Energies Pour l’Afrique, created by Jean-Louis Borloo, former French Minister of State, which aims to provide affordable access to energy for all Africans and is also special advisor for Africa for Foundation Energies pour le Monde (FONDEM). In addition, she is an ambassador for the well-known Women in Africa Initiative, an international platform dedicated to the economic development and support of leading and high potential African Women.
Winch Energy provides services including energy, telecommunications, internet, financial and retail to customers who do not have access to the grid. It currently operates across four countries in Africa, with 2019 projects expected to increase this to five, providing 50,000 electricity meters, to over 300,000 customers and providing benefit for approximately 1.5 million people.
Through its unique understanding of both the energy industry and the geopolitical landscape of Sub-Saharan Africa and other inaccessible, rural communities worldwide, the team at Winch Energy delivers sustainable, attractive investment opportunities. It also works with a wide range of other local developers, helping them to secure the investment and licenses needed to install off-grid energy projects.
In addition, Winch Energy’s unique technology, including its solar powered Remote Power Unit (RPU), delivers access to affordable, reliable power and associated services. This in turn helps to drive local economic development and create opportunities for commerce, employment and wealth.
Working with Winch Energy, Olga Johnson will help to develop Winch Energy’s African government level relationships, and improve its visibility with local banks, NGOs and global lending institutions.
Commenting on the appointment, Winch Energy CEO Nicholas Wrigley, says: “We are so pleased to welcome Olga to the Winch Energy team. With her unrivalled expertise and experience, as well as her dedication to accelerating access to energy for millions of Africans, we feel she is a perfect fit with our ethos and vision”.
“Olga shares our view that enabling access to power is the conduit for opportunity and prosperity. We look forward to joining forces with Olga to continue to empower communities, create wealth, transform lives and create freedom for individuals.”
Olga Johnson adds: “More than 700 million Africans do not have access to electricity. Of those, women and girls are often the most impacted as they travel for miles to fetch water and wood. Sadly, the situation is getting worse year on year. However, I believe that with the right will, expertise and approach, we can reverse this trend and enable all Africans to have access to power. I am looking forward to working with Winch Energy to make my dream of having over 80% access to energy, especially in rural area, a reality.”
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