Mrs. Abimbola Izu a former Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, and one-time Company Secretary and Legal Adviser of Polaris Bank, (formerly Skye Bank PLC – “the Bank”) and Bond Bank, (Nigeria) and a versatile commercial law practitioner with many years cognate experience.

Abimbola Izu is an associate Partner of Portalls Advisory Services (PAS) and is directly responsible for structured finance advisory generally, and green finance advisory specifically. She is a highly cerebral and versatile professional with multi-dimension competencies. She rose to become an Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Bank, responsible for a portfolio of over N600bn across the Oil and Gas, Large Corporates, Telecommunication, Hospitality, Power, Agriculture, Aviation and Maritime Services, Real Estate, and Construction sectors in the Bank, from where she retired voluntarily in February 2017, after an illustrious career.

Prior to her banking career, Abimbola had distinguished herself as a core commercial and litigation lawyer, with cognate experience spanning leading law firms such as Chief Afe Babalola SAN & Co, Bentley Edu & Co, and Olaniwun Ajayi & Co where she headed the Corporate and Commercial practice of the firms. She is a fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) and has attended various seminars and training programs both locally and internationally on various aspects of Sustainable and the Environmental. She also served on the Yale University Centre for Environmental Law’s Committee on “Rethinking Global Environmental Governance” and Co-authored “The Role of NGOs and Civil Society in Global environment Governance with Barbara Bemill.

Reputed to have a very keen and cerebral mind, Abimbola has a deep understanding of banking, finance, and the law, and the ability to structure difficult transactions. She has advised on over 50 significant infrastructure and project finance, ICT, real estate financing, oil and gas, telecoms, power and corporate finance transaction, including several Mergers and Acquisition, several debts and equity capital raising exercise both for the private and public quoted companies, a Convertible Loan transaction and the Western Union Future Flows Remittance Financing transaction (the first of its kind in Africa) amongst many others.

At the Bank, she was responsible for the legal Department, Sustainability, and Consumer Protection Department (SCPD), among others. AS Directorate Head, she pioneered the development of necessary structures and framework for integration of environmental sustainability considerations and sustainable financing standards into the Bank’s credit appraisal process. In this regard, she led the development and institutionalization of the Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) framework and the Sustainable Finance Tool Kit, in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), for the evolution of projects in the Oil and Gas, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Construction, Aviation and Maritime, Metals and Mining Sectors. These policy frameworks were subsequently included in the Bank’s Credit Policy. In addition, Abimbola embarked upon an aggressive bank-wide environment sustainability training, top-down from the Board of Directors, as part of the initiative to build relevant internal sustainable financing capacity, and appropriate governance structures within the Bank.

Portalls Advisory Services brings to bear the breadth of these cognate experience and competence to support and advise in matters relating to accessing, evaluating, structuring, negotiating, as well as drafting relevant transaction documents, and procuring necessary regulatory approvals for various private and public sector and cross-border green financing projects.

Our engineering management team has nearly 40 years of combined, diversified engineering experience and is committed to helping our customers and client succeed and employees thrive and expanding capacity knowledge to our employees. This group has helped our lead company develop the engineering concept and design for our waste-to-energy technology suited to our environment since 2016 to date. As a team, we are committed to supporting state and national associations to transform the waste sector through a circular economy value chain to produce renewable fuels, waste to energy, and decarbonization to address clean cooking programs.

Engr. Asteway Gonfa is Head of Department (HOD), Waste to Energy & Hydro Power, he has over 10 years of experience in the Renewable Power Industry sector, with a proven record of overseeing the Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) Koka Hydro Power Plant, Koka and Reppie Waste to Energy Power plant in Ethiopia.

In the year 2018, he received a qualification award on occupational skills in the following subject areas; Waste to Energy Power Plant Operation and Maintenance Training – Boiler, turbine, Electrical, Control & Boiler, Turbine, Electrical, Control & Instrumentation, Water and Leachate Treatment with CNEEC, Cambridge Industry, and RAMBOLL, gaining Level in national and international classification: Operation and Maintenance Certificate (International Certificate).

He received a Thank you Letter for Test and Commissioning of Reppie Waste to Energy Project on Test and Commissioning of Boiler, Turbine, Electrical, Control & Instrumentation, Water and Leachate Treatment from EEP (Ethiopia Electric Power) and Reppie Waste to Energy Project Office, gaining Level in national or international classification Certificate.  

He occupied the position in charge of the maintenance department Reppie Waste to Energy Power plant in 2018 overseeing Planning and Managing Preventive, Corrective, and Emergency Maintenance work, coordinator of all Inspection work, and job training of maintenance of staff. Between 2017 – 2018 he held the position of Commissioning Engineer for Reppie Waste to Energy Power plant, Coordinating the commissioning team and operations department, including training of operation staff.

In 2016 – 2017 he held the position of plant manager for the Abasamuel Hydro Power plant and head of operations and maintenance and planning production. During the period he was also the Coordinator of the Commissioning team, operations department, and training of staff for Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) on the Abasamuel Hydro project.

Engr. Asteway occupied the position of a maintenance engineer, general operation at Finchaa Hydro Electric Power Plant complete governor PLC (Schineder Electric PLC)  by Unity pro programming software maintenance work, At Tis Abay II Hydro Electric Power Plant Excitation PLC Programming, and At Koka, Awash, Gilgel Gibe I, Tis Abay II, Finchaa and FAN Hydro Electric Power Plants station Battery Installing and Test & Commissioning in 2015 -2016 at Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) Generation Operation Head office, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He began his young engineering carrier as a Junior Electric Engineer at Koka Hydro Power plant, of which his main activities and responsibilities were; Preventive, Corrective, and Emergency Maintenance work in both Hydro power plant and Substation (230 KV & 132KV), In charge of Maintenance Department (Acting), In charge of Operation Department (Acting) and Plant Manager (Acting). He has been a dedicated executive member of the company Renewable Power Industry in developing strategies to deliver innovative technologies to address the inadequate power supply in the region. He is part of our key members of the company’s clean energy transition, moving away from fossil fuels.

From 2013 – 2014 He held the position of a lecturer at the Unity University, Adama, Ethiopia, Lecturing Basic Electrical and Mathematics Courses in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Asteway Gonfa bagged a BSc Degree in Electric Engineering from Adama Science and Technology University.

Shumet Bahiru has more than 15 years of experience in African renewable projects, including developing preliminary studies.

His employment record spans from 2004 rendering his services on environmentally friendly projects. He was the plant manager of Finchaa HEPP in 2015, before then he was head of maintenance Finchaa HEPP, National Gird control center system operation engineer I, Adama Wind Project technical operation II, Gilgel Gibe II HEPP Maintenance technician II, Aluto langano GPP Junior operation electro technician II, Tis Abay I & II HPP Maintenance Electro-Mechanic I, Tis Abay I & II HPP Junior Electro-Mechanic I.

He handled the management of power plant Maintenance and operation to have a proper Operating system at the optimum cost with higher availability standards At Finchaa.

He handled Maintenance activities at Gilgel Gibe 2 HEPP 420MW, Gilgel Gibe 1 180MW, Awash II & III 64 MW, Koka 42MW, Adama wind Project 51MW, Tekeze HEPP 300MW, Tana Beles 460MW, MelkaWakena HEPP 153MW, DireDawa & Awah 7kilo Diesel plant 40MW, and the Commissioning Engineer, Reppie Waste to Energy plant on September 29, 2017, to 2018.

For more than __ years Yohannis Asmare has worked as a mechanical and maintenance engineer for Reppie Waste to Energy. He has acquired several training skills and was honored with a certificate in marine power plant operation and maintenance in Bahirdar Marine Academy, and steam power plant in Reppie Waste to Energy.

Yohannis holds a B.sc Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Adama Science & Technology University in Ethiopia.

Mechanical Engineer specializing in Designing Mechanical parts and tools. Experienced with Designing, maintenance, and repairs parts of MAN heavy truck diesel engine, waste to the energy power plant, and Wartsila diesel generator. Well-versed in numerous designing software including Solid work, Katia, and AutoCAD. Strong background in project management and customer relations.

His skills highlights include project management, creative design, strong decision maker, innovative, complex problem solver, and service-focused. 

An experienced Mechanical Engineer for 6 years at the Ethiopia Electric power (Reppie waste to energy) Addis Abeba, Planning and Managing Preventive, Corrective, and Emergency Maintenance work. On the job, he actively engaged in the Training of maintenance and operation staff and worked as a commissioning engineer since the inception of the project, carrying out inspections daily, weekly, and annually of the Boiler, Turbine, and Emergency diesel generator. He oversaw the maintenance of HFO Wartsila diesel generator at Diredawa Diesel power plant as a part of the technical support team.

He acquired the following Certificates in Steam Turbine Specialist in 2018; CNEEC at Reppie waste-to-energy power plant.

Officer in charge of engineering watch 2014; Ethiopia Maritime Academy.

Proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats 2014; Ethiopia Maritime Academy

High voltage installation 2014; Ethiopia Maritime Academy

Safety basic training 2014; Ethiopia Maritime Academy

Tanker basic for oil and chemical cargo operations 2015; Ethiopia Maritime Academy

Advance Fire Fighting 2014; Ethiopia Maritime Academy

Medical First Aid 2014; Ethiopia Maritime Academy

ECAPFIN ITOCO ECOPLAN Limited as a subsidiary of ITOCO – Head of Department: Climate Change, Drought, Desertification and Forest Management, Carbon Capture & Credit, and Carbon Exchange.

Prof. Emmanuel Oladipo obtained his Ph.D. in Geography with a specialization in Climatology and focus on Climate Change, Drought, and Desertification about four decades ago from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. Between 1982 and 1996 he taught and conducted research in areas of drought, desertification, and environmental change at the Department of Geography, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and rose to the rank of a full Professor in 1992.

He worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria between 1994 and 2006 as the Sustainable Development Adviser and led the Energy and Environment Team during which he facilitated, among many things, the revision of the country’s Policy on the Environment and the production of the First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He was the Regional Coordinator of a GEF-assisted Integrated Ecosystem Management Project between Nigeria and Niger between 2006 and 2012. The Project implementation led to the restoration and rehabilitation of some degraded areas and established sustainable conditions for integrated ecosystem management for improvement in the livelihoods of the local communities and preservation of globally significant ecosystems in the transboundary catchments between Nigeria and Niger.

Prof. Oladipo coordinated the National Technical Working Group on Environment and Sustainable Development for the Vision 2020 Report in 2009. He had an extensive consultancy relationship with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Climate Change and Drought and Desertification between 1983 and 1995. He participated in several activities of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) between 1985 and 1992, including being a contributor to two chapters of the First Scientific Assessment Report of the IPCC in 1990. He had also executed many consultancies with the Federal Ministry of Environment, UNDP, AfDB, World Bank, and the National Infrastructural Assistance Facility (NIAF) on issues of climate change, drought, desertification, and environmental sustainability.

Prof. Oladipo has led the Nigerian delegation on Adaptation to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COPs) since 2009. He is currently relating with the Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Lagos in building the capacity of younger academics in Climate Change analysis.