DoTheDream YDI Names Dr. Omopeju Afanu to Chair CSW70 Energy Justice High-Level Side Event at the UN

DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative (DoTheDream YDI), a Nigerian-founded youth development organisation with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), has appointed Dr. Omopeju Afanu as Chairperson of the Planning Committee for its High-Level Side Event at the 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).


The side event, titled “Catalyzing Energy Justice: Energizing Communities Through Girls/Women and Sport,” will be hosted during CSW 70 in New York and is expected to elevate African-led perspectives on gender equality, energy access, and youth development within global policy and investment conversations.


Positioned as a high-leverage platform for delivery, the CSW70 engagement is designed to mobilize USD 20 million in catalytic capital to accelerate DoTheDream YDI’s Girls in Energy initiative—an integrated ecosystem that equips girls and young women with the skills, leadership capacity, and market-facing opportunities required to participate meaningfully in Africa’s clean energy transition. This funding is intended to unlock follow-on investment, strengthen implementation readiness, and convert policy alignment into tangible, community-level outcomes.


Across the continent, millions of households and small businesses continue to operate without reliable electricity—constraining productivity, weakening service delivery, and slowing economic growth—with women and girls disproportionately bearing the burden. By restoring power reliability, communities can extend learning hours, keep clinics functional, enable digital connectivity, and expand women-led enterprise activity. DoTheDream YDI’s programme addresses this gap by linking education, innovation, and employment pathways to community-scale renewable energy deployment—ensuring that energy access translates directly into measurable development acceleration.


A cornerstone of this approach is a 10MW solar mini-grid ambition, designed to expand access to clean, dependable power for households and small businesses, while creating green jobs for young people across installation, operations, maintenance, and local entrepreneurship. The catalytic funding will be deployed to de-risk early-stage delivery—supporting project preparation, community engagement, skills training, and implementation partnerships—so that mini-grids can scale faster and attract additional public and private co-financing. The initiative also integrates sport-for-development as a community mobilization and leadership engine, widening participation, strengthening safeguarding and social inclusion, and accelerating girls’ and young women’s skills development and visibility within the energy transition.


The CSW70 side event is expected to convene representatives from UN agencies, Permanent Missions, development organisations, private sector leaders, clean energy investors, civil society organisations, and sport-for-development and climate advocates. By integrating sport as a tool for leadership and social inclusion, the platform aims to expand participation and visibility for girls and women traditionally excluded from energy and technology sectors, while creating a space for dialogue and partnership aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.


Dr. Afanu brings a strong record of multi-sector leadership and inclusive development expertise to her role. As Chairperson of the Planning Committee, she will oversee strategic coordination, stakeholder engagement, and programme design to ensure the event delivers concrete outcomes aligned with the Global South’s development priorities and the 2030 Agenda.


Founder of DoTheDream YDI, Adebusuyi Olutayo Olumadewa, described the appointment as a critical milestone, noting the growing influence of civil society and diaspora-led organisations in global development.
“This initiative is about shifting the narrative from access alone to leadership and ownership,” he said. “Dr. Afanu’s leadership will help ensure girls and women in the global south are not just beneficiaries of energy solutions, but drivers of sustainable community transformation.”


The CSW70 platform is expected to strengthen Global South collaboration, unlock new financing pathways, and reinforce Africa’s role in shaping an inclusive global energy future.


About DoTheDream Youth Development Initiative (DoTheDream YDI)

DoTheDream YDI is a youth-focused development organization advancing inclusive opportunity through initiatives that strengthen education, skills, leadership, and community development. As a CoNGO Board Member with UN consultative status, DoTheDream YDI supports platforms that connect policy, partnerships, and practical solutions aligned to global development priorities.