Damilola Ogunbiyi Becomes First Nigerian Honoured With TIME Earth Award

The CEO and special representative of the UN secretary-general for Sustainable Energy for All, and co-chair of UN-Energy, Damilola Ogunbiyi, has been recognised among the six global leaders at the forefront of climate action by TIME in its prestigious Earth Awards for 2026.

Ogunbiyi, a prominent climate and energy expert, becomes the first Nigerian to be so recognised.

Now in its fourth year, the Earth Awards are TIME’s apex award that honours individuals whose actions have had an indelible impact on global efforts to address climate change.

Damilola was recognised for her efforts to advance a clean energy transition and decarbonise energy systems worldwide, thereby reducing emissions.

Damilola commented: “The energy transition is about people and the families and communities whose lives are transformed by reliable, clean power. Across the Global South, countries are leading the way – from Pakistan’s solar capacity reaching 33 GW to Kenya generating over 90 per cent of its electricity from clean energy.

In Nigeria, one of the world’s largest distributed renewable energy programmes is expanding access at scale, unlocking opportunity and improving livelihoods. This recognition is a reminder of what’s possible when we put people at the centre of the energy transition.”

This TIME Earth recognition adds to the many other awards Damilola has received in the last four years – a reflection of the transformative work she continues to do in her dual role as the UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General, and the CEO of Sustainable Energy for All.

With Damilola at the helm, Sustainable Energy for All has entered into partnerships with over 200 partners, supported over 100 countries worldwide, and secured commitments of more than USD 1.6 trillion in energy finance.

Previously, Damilola worked as the head of the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria (REA), and she initiated the Nigerian Electrification Project, a USD 550 million facility that to date has provided energy access to over 8 million people across Nigeria and implemented over 100 megawatts of decentralised energy projects supplying electricity to hospitals, schools, and government facilities.

Some of her notable awards include the 2025 Forbes Sustainability Leaders as one of the 50 global leaders working to combat the climate crisis. In September 2024, she was recognised in the 2024 TIME100 Climate list as one of the 20 titans in climate.

In the same month, she received the First Class Order of Zayed II from the UAE President in recognition of her contribution to the success of the climate conference, COP28, and the Global Female Leadership Impact (GFLI) Award.

Damilola Ogunbiyi has been at the helm of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and as the UN special representative to the secretary-general since January 2020. Under her leadership, major strides have been made to enable just, equitable, and sustainable energy transitions that ensure a better quality of life and opportunities for people living in developing regions.

During this period, SEforALL has supported over 100 countries globally and secured commitments of more than $1.6 trillion in energy finance.