DoTheDream YDI moves energy justice debate to CSW70, appoints Afanu as planning chair

DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative (DoTheDream YDI), a Nigerian-founded youth development organisation with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), has appointed Omopeju Afanu as Chairperson of the Planning Committee for its high-level side event at the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).

The side event, titled ‘Catalyzing Energy Justice: Energizing Communities Through Girls/Women and Sport,’ will be hosted during CSW70 in New York and is expected to foreground African-led perspectives on gender equality, energy access, youth development, and sustainable financing within global policy discussions.

This was disclosed in a statement to the media.

Positioned as a delivery-focused engagement, the CSW70 platform aims to mobilise up to USD 20 million in catalytic capital to accelerate DoTheDream YDI’s Girls in Energy initiative.

The statement stated that the programme is designed as an integrated ecosystem that equips girls and young women with technical skills, leadership capacity, and market-facing opportunities to participate meaningfully in Africa’s clean energy transition.

The statement further stated that the funding target is intended to de-risk early-stage implementation, unlock follow-on investment, and translate policy alignment into measurable community-level outcomes.

Across Africa, millions of households and small businesses continue to operate without reliable electricity, limiting productivity, weakening service delivery, and slowing economic growth.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected, bearing increased domestic labour burdens and facing reduced access to education, healthcare, and income-generating opportunities.

DoTheDream YDI’s intervention seeks to address this gap by linking education, innovation, and employment pathways directly to community-scale renewable energy deployment.

The statement revealed that the core component of the initiative is a 10MW solar mini-grid ambition, aimed at expanding access to clean, reliable power for households and small enterprises, while creating green jobs for young people across installation, operations, maintenance, and local energy entrepreneurship.

Catalytic funding will support project preparation, community engagement, skills training, and implementation partnerships, enabling faster scale-up and improved bankability for public and private co-financing.

The programme also integrates sport-for-development as a tool for community mobilisation, leadership development, and social inclusion. By using sport as an entry point, the initiative seeks to widen participation, strengthen safeguarding mechanisms, and increase the visibility of girls and young women in sectors where they have traditionally been underrepresented, including energy and technology.

The CSW70 side event is expected to convene representatives from UN agencies, Permanent Missions, development organisations, clean energy investors, private sector actors, civil society groups, and sport-for-development and climate advocates.

Discussions will focus on aligning gender equality goals with energy access strategies and investment frameworks in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Afanu brings extensive experience in multi-sector leadership and inclusive development to her role.

As Chairperson of the Planning Committee, she will lead strategic coordination, stakeholder engagement, and programme design to ensure the event delivers concrete outcomes aligned with Global South development priorities.

Founder of DoTheDream YDI, Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa, said the appointment reflects the organisation’s focus on leadership, ownership, and implementation.

“This initiative is about moving beyond access to leadership and ownership,” he said.

“Girls and women in the Global South must be positioned not only as beneficiaries of energy solutions, but as drivers of sustainable community transformation.”

With years of experience in Nigerian journalism, Iniobong Iwok has built a reputation for deep political insight, compelling storytelling, and consistent, fact-driven reporting.

Over the years, he has gained extensive experience reporting and writing incisive political analysis. Iniobong has interviewed key political figures across Nigeria and covered major national events, including the 2019 and 2023 general elections.

A versatile journalist, he also has strong experience in education reporting and sector analysis. His work reflects a deep commitment to good governance and public accountability.

Iniobong holds a B.Sc. in Sociology from the University of Ilorin and an M.Sc. in Sociology (Development Specialisation) from Lagos State University.

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