Partners

Elin Karlsson

Dr. Eng. Crispen Zana has 40 years’ experience in energy development programs working with GIZ as  Advisor to various partner institutions including the Department of Infrastructure and Energy of the  African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, the African Energy Commission (AFREC), and the  African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy,  Mozambique. 

Ms. Martha Cheruto

Mr Ahid Maeresera is currently serving as Technical Manager for the COMESA implemented Regional Energy Access Acceleration Platform (REAAP), a component of the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Transformation (ASCENT) Program, a USD5billion World Bank initiative aimed at providing electricity connections to 100million people in Eastern and Southern Africa by 2030.

Ms. Rosalinde van der Vlies is Director in DG ENER, responsible for Just Transition, Consumers, Energy Efficiency, and Innovation.
Before this appointment, Ms. van der Vlies served as the Director of the Clean Planet Directorate in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. She has also held roles as Head of the Coordination & Interinstitutional Relations Unit and Acting Head of the Communication & Citizens Unit.

Li Baosen, a Professor-level Senior Engineer, currently serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO). He directly leads the General Office and oversees the organization's daily operations, brand communication, think tank development and international relationship.

Ngoanathari Maja is an Energy and Climate Specialist. She has extensive experience in the implementation of energy efficiency projects within industrial and commercial sectors. Her areas of expertise include energy and water
efficiency, resource efficiency, renewable energy, ISO 50001 energy management systems, decarbonisation, carbon foot-printing, life cycle management, climate change, and circular economy.

Engr. Hikmat Toyin Aderibigbe was born on 21st June, 1967 in the Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State, in the South-West region of Nigeria. She began her education at Baptist Primary School, Kano, Kano State where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate in 1979. She subsequently attended Federal Government College, Kano, Kano State from 1979 to 1984, earning the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Ordinary Level.

After an early career in academia in Djibouti, where he contributed to developing research and teaching in building energy efficiency and bioclimatic design, Dr. Abdou Idris joined the GIZ Ethiopia and Djibouti in 2025 as a climate change advisor. He supports the implementation of the PEEB Cool program in Djibouti, jointly led by the German and French cooperation, which promotes energy-efficient construction across Djibouti’s building sector.

Gianluca Tonolo is an energy and climate analyst with more than 15 years of experience working on energy access, clean cooking, and the energy transition in emerging and developing economies. At the International Energy Agency, he contributed to the Africa Energy Outlooks, several editions of the World Energy Outlook, and authored the Guidebook for Improved Electricity Access Statistics. His work combines data analysis, modelling, and policy assessment to support dec ision-making by governments, development partners, and private actors.