Centering Gender in the Just Energy Transition

His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the Olu of Warri, continues to bring the lived realities of oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta into global conversations on climate responsibility and the future of the energy transition.

Across the Warri Kingdom and the wider Niger Delta, communities have lived for decades within one of the world's most significant oil-producing regions. Gas flares illuminate the night sky across riverine settlements, while oil contamination has altered waterways and wetlands that sustain fishing, farming, and local livelihoods. For families whose lands have powered Nigeria's energy economy for generations, these environmental realities continue to shape daily life and community wellbeing.

Women often experience these pressures most directly. They sustain household food systems, manage water resources, support local markets, and carry significant responsibility for family wellbeing. These lived realities formed an important backdrop when, on March 12, 2026, His Majesty joined global leaders, advocates, and policy experts at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York City in discussions at the convening “Powering Progress: Centering Gender in the Just Energy Transition.”

The dialogue explored how women can move from the margins of environmental impact into positions where they help shape energy systems, climate responses, and community development. As custodian of the Warri Kingdom, His Majesty continues to advocate for pathways that strengthen women's leadership and ensure that communities closest to the consequences of energy production participate meaningfully in shaping the future of energy.

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