Special Adviser on Energy: A peep into Olu Verheijen’s rich profile

Ms. Olubukola Arowolo Verheijen was appointed as the Special Adviser on Energy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday.

Her appointment derived, principally, from her rich profile and accomplishments over the years, especially in the gas and energy sector.

Academically, Ms. Verheijen has a B.A. degree from Long Island University and Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

She also serves as a Trustee of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Association of Nigeria.

She has nearly 20 years experience in the gas and renewables sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa, and is the Managing Director at Latimer Energy, a consulting firm advising clients on value optimization in acquisition, development and management of energy assets.

Ms. Verheijen’s deal experience includes leading project development and negotiating the financing arrangements for multibillion-dollar gas infrastructure projects, divestment of energy and aviation assets as well as investments in distributed renewable companies, and advised on gas commercialization and M&A transactions.

She had also provided support to the Nigerian government on formulating policies and reforms that promote investment in gas infrastructure for domestic markets and was Shell’s finance lead on the negotiations for Nigeria’s first World Bank Partial Risk (PRG) Guarantee to improve bankability of gas supply to state-owned power plants.

The newly appointed Special Adviser also serves as an Advisory Council Member of the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Energy for Growth Hub.

She is the founder of BFA Foundation, which provides scholarships for women and other disadvantaged groups to expand their career advancement opportunities in high-growth sectors, including the energy sector.