In a passionate appeal, Samira Bawumia, founder and chair of the Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC), has urged world leaders to expedite the transition to clean energy, emphasizing that time is running out to ensure universal energy access.
Speaking at the 2025 Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Global Forum in Barbados, the former Second Lady, Mrs. Bawumia stressed that “clean energy is not just about sustainability; it is about justice, security, and shared prosperity.”
She warned that with less than five years left to meet the SDG7 targets, “we must act decisively and immediately”.
Mrs. Bawumia painted a distressing picture of the energy crisis, particularly in Africa, where over 675 million people live without electricity, and 2.3 billion people rely on hazardous biomass fuels for cooking.
She cautioned that the reliance on wood, charcoal, and fossil fuels not only degrades the environment but also poses significant health hazards, disproportionately affecting women and children.
As a passionate advocate for women and children, Mrs. Bawumia called for the urgent integration of their interests into national and international energy policies.
She highlighted impactful programs such as Forward7 by the Middle East Green Initiative, which aims to transform 750 million lives through clean cooking innovation, and Mission 300, an initiative launched by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank to bring electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
Mrs. Bawumia emphasized that “clean energy solutions must be affordable, scalable, and community-centered.”
She noted that “this is about more than cooking; it’s about health, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability”.
As a gglobally recognized champion for sustainable energy, Mrs. Bawumia serves as a Global Ambassador for the Clean Cooking Alliance, the Clean Air Fund, and WHO’s Health and Energy Platform for Action.
In 2019, she was honoured with the Seven for 7 Award by SEforALL and Ashden for her outstanding contributions to clean energy access.
The SEforALL Global Forum serves as a key event for driving policies, investments, and partnerships to advance the clean energy agenda.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
