Description:

There is one good opportunity for CEO Nigeria | Solar Energy Client (200MW Projects) based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Position Title: CEO Nigeria | Solar Energy Client (200MW Projects)

Location: Lagos / Abuja, Nigeria (with extensive travel to project sites)

Reports to: Group CEO / Head Africa Business

Role Purpose:

The General Manager Nigeria will have end-to-end responsibility for Renewable /Solar Energys business and projects in Nigeria, starting with a World Bankfunded 200 MW solar programme across ~60 villages and expanding to future projects in Cameroon and other African markets.

The role combines P&L ownership, engineering & project delivery oversight, stakeholder and investor management, and building a high-performing local team.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Country and P&L Leadership

- Own the Nigeria P&L across all projects from budgeting and forecasting to delivery against revenue, margin, and cash-flow targets.

- Translate group strategy into a clear country business plan, with milestones for delivery, risk, and growth.

- Build and lead a multi-disciplinary team (engineering, projects, finance, commercial, HSE, community) and develop strong local leadership bench.

2. Project Delivery 200 MW Solar Programme

- Provide overall leadership for the 200 MW, 60-village solar rollout (0.51.5 MW per village), from development through construction, commissioning and handover.

- Oversee project management frameworks: scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and HSE across all sites.

- Coordinate with EPC contractors, OEMs, consultants and local partners to ensure timely, on-budget delivery.

- Review and approve engineering designs, BoQs, technical specifications, and ensure compliance with World Bank and Nigerian regulatory standards.

- Set up robust project monitoring systems (dashboards, progress reviews, risk logs) for multi-site execution.

2. Engineering and Operations Oversight

- Provide high-level guidance on solar PV design, grid/off-grid integration, storage (if applicable) and O&M philosophy.

- Ensure that each village-level system (0.51.5 MW) is designed for reliability, safety, and ease of operation in rural conditions.

- Establish O&M frameworks and SLAs for long-term performance and availability.

3. Finance, Compliance and Governance

- Work closely with Group Finance to manage project budgeting, fund drawdowns, contractor payments, and cost control.

- Ensure full compliance with World Bank requirements, Nigerian energy and environmental regulations, tax and statutory norms.

- Implement internal controls and reporting processes in line with group policies.

4. Investor Relations and Reporting (Family Offices / DFIs / Others)

- Act as the primary on-ground contact for family offices, institutional investors, DFIs, and lenders linked to Nigeria projects.

- Prepare and present regular project and portfolio reports: progress vs plan, key risks, mitigation, ESG metrics, and financial performance.

- Support roadshows, due diligence, site visits and data-room queries as the projects scale and new capital is raised.

5. Stakeholder and Government / Community Management

- Build and maintain relationships with federal and state regulators, distribution companies (DisCos), rural electrification agencies, and local authorities.

- Lead engagement with community leaders and local stakeholders in each village to secure land, right-of-way, and social licence to operate.

- Resolve on-ground issues proactively (land, permits, community expectations, security).

6. Expansion to New Markets (Cameroon and Other Countries)

- Support market entry strategy for Cameroon and other African countries: opportunity assessment, partners, regulatory landscape.

- Provide playbook and learnings from Nigeria rollout to standardise processes for future projects (design standards, contracting models, reporting templates, HSE standards).

- Over time, take on regional responsibility for multiple countries as portfolio expands.

Candidate Profile Education:

- Bachelors degree in engineering (Electrical / Mechanical / Civil or related) is mandatory.

- MBA or masters in business / Energy / Infrastructure / Finance is an advantage.

Experience

- 15 years plus experience, with at least 710 years in power/renewables, and minimum 5 years in a senior leadership / country / business head role.

- Proven track record in utility-scale or large C&I solar projects (preferably multi-MW, multi-site programmes in Africa or emerging markets).

- Strong exposure to project finance / donor or DFI-funded infrastructure (World Bank, AfDB, IFC, etc.) is highly desirable.

- Experience managing cross-functional teams (engineering, projects, finance, commercial, HSE, community) in complex environments.

- Prior work in Nigeria or West Africa with comfort on local regulatory, cultural and operating context is a strong plus.

Skills and Competencies

- Strategic and commercial acumen: Ability to link project delivery, commercials and long-term portfolio value.

- Project management excellence: Skilled in large, multi-site EPC / EPCM management with strong grasp of schedule, cost and risk control.

- Financial understanding: Comfortable with project budgets, IRR/NPV basics, cash-flow management and investor reporting.

- Stakeholder management: Confident dealing with ministries, regulators, DFIs, family offices, communities and contractors.

- Leadership: Can build, inspire and retain a high-performance local team in a challenging environment.

- Communication: Strong written and verbal communication (English), able to produce investor-grade reports and presentations.

- Resilience and adaptability: Comfortable working in remote locations, handling ambiguity, and operating in a fast-scaling business.