Olubukola Arowolo Verheijen

Ms. Olubukola Arowolo Verheijen is the Special Adviser on Energy to the President of Nigeria, where she leads transformational reforms across the oil, gas, and power sectors. She spearheaded Presidential Directives that enhanced Nigeria’s investment climate, unlocking nearly $6 billion in FDI in 2024. She also leads two major presidential initiatives to restore financial viability in the power sector—smart meter deployment and power sector debt resolution—designed to attract long-term private investment. With over 20 years of experience across public policy, investment, and energy strategy in Africa, she has held leadership roles at Shell, Latimer Energy, and Persistent. She serves on the board of the Presidential CNG Initiative and advises international organizations like Energy for Growth and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. A Fellow of the Energy Institute and Harvard Kennedy School alumna, and Founder of the BFA Foundation.

Session Overview

Tuesday, 4 November

12:00

Finance & Investment ICC Hall B 12:00 - 12:40

Incentivising sustainable growth through government energy policies

Government energy policies are powerful instruments for securing national energy supply, attracting investment, and enhancing economic resilience. In today’s volatile global landscape, forward-thinking strategies demonstrate how pragmatic planning can diversify energy portfolios, strengthen domestic infrastructure, and ensure long-term energy security. From sovereign wealth funds to regional gas hubs and electrification initiatives, governments are using policy levers to unlock capital and build robust energy systems that serve both domestic needs and export ambitions.

As global markets evolve, fostering investment momentum requires collaborative dialogue between policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to establish predictable frameworks that support energy reliability, infrastructure development, and economic competitiveness across both developed and emerging economies.

Attendee insights:

In this session, explore how energy and finance ministers are encouraging investment and securing the public and private finance needed to build a future, a cost- and carbon-efficient energy system.