Kolawole Osinowo
As CEO of Izili, Kolawole is an emerging leader in social innovation who has dedicated his career to improving access to technology and clean, reliable energy across Africa. His tireless efforts and leadership have enabled hundreds of thousands of people in remote communities to have access to electricity, earning him recognition as a Global Good Fund Fellow.
Nigeria is the least electrified country in the world, in terms of off-grid population. Probably, before we end this interview, the power will go out and come back on.
From his office in Lagos, Kolawole Osinowo is speaking about his early experiences at Izili (previously known as Baobab+), which he joined four years ago. Izili is a social enterprise dedicated to providing access to affordable solar energy.
“I remember visiting some remote communities that had never had access to power before. One man in his nineties just needed three lightbulbs, a radio, and somewhere to charge his phone so that he could speak to his children. That was all he needed – nothing sophisticated.”
Over the following three years, this memory stuck with him as his team grew from just six members to 135 across 34 locations.
Kolawole and some of the Izili team
Kolawole and some of the Izili team
“There's still a lot more to do, both in rural and urban areas. As we speak, there are over 85 million people without access to electricity - and that's just access. There's electricity reliability as well. But at least we're contributing to reducing the energy poverty that exists today.”
An MBA graduate of Imperial Business School, Kolawole became the new Group CEO of Izili in May 2025. Under his leadership, Izili Nigeria expanded operations into over 30 underserved rural and peri-urban locations across the country. The company now delivers clean energy to over 80,000 households, impacting more than 250,000 individuals - enabling women-led microenterprises, students, and low-income families to thrive through reliable power access.
This work is not new to him, though. Kolawole’s professional journey began in the telecommunications and tech sectors, where he held senior roles at Nokia, Microsoft, HMD Global, and Jumia. At Microsoft, he helped expand access to technology in West and Central Africa, while at Jumia, he played a crucial role in building and scaling digital marketplaces and quick-commerce infrastructure across Nigeria and Ghana.
Nigeria is the least electrified country in the world, in terms of off-grid population. Probably, before we end this interview, the power will go out and come back on.
From his office in Lagos, Kolawole Osinowow is speaking about his early experiences at Izili (previously known as Baobab+), which he joined four years ago. Izili is a social enterprise dedicated to providing access to affordable solar energy.
“I remember visiting some remote communities that had never had access to power before. One man in his nineties just needed three lightbulbs, a radio, and somewhere to charge his phone so that he could speak to his children. That was all he needed – nothing sophisticated.”
Over the following three years, this memory stuck with him as his team grew from just six members to 135 across 34 locations.
Kolawole and some of the Izili team
Kolawole and some of the Izili team
“There's still a lot more to do, both in rural and urban areas. As we speak, there are over 85 million people without access to electricity - and that's just access. There's electricity reliability as well. But at least we're contributing to reducing the energy poverty that exists today.”
An MBA graduate of Imperial Business School, Kolawole became the new Group CEO of Izili in May 2025. Under his leadership, Izili Nigeria expanded operations into over 30 underserved rural and peri-urban locations across the country. The company now delivers clean energy to over 80,000 households, impacting more than 250,000 individuals - enabling women-led microenterprises, students, and low-income families to thrive through reliable power access.
This work is not new to him, though. Kolawole’s professional journey began in the telecommunications and tech sectors, where he held senior roles at Nokia, Microsoft, HMD Global, and Jumia. At Microsoft, he helped expand access to technology in West and Central Africa, while at Jumia, he played a crucial role in building and scaling digital marketplaces and quick-commerce infrastructure across Nigeria and Ghana.
An MBA with real-world impact
Kolawole began his Global MBA at Imperial in 2017, not only to sharpen his leadership and business skills but partly to fulfil the wishes of his late father, who studied in England himself. Kolawole’s father knew of Imperial by reputation. “He said, that’s where you go if you do well in high school.”
Kolawole describes his time at Imperial as ‘rigorous,’ and says he took away a fresh perspective on his work.
Imperial has shifted the rigour of my decision-making. It is data-driven now. It is context aware. And it is impact-focused.
“There can be serious consequences to my decisions,” he adds. “People might lose energy access. Perhaps a woman will give birth without power. Perhaps a child will not be able to read at night.”
Kolawole with staff and patients outside a rural health centre supported by Izili
Kolawole with staff and patients outside a rural health centre supported by Izili
Reflecting on his Imperial MBA, he says, “For me, a lot of the courses we did, even the ones that I wasn’t so keen on – I’m not a finance person! – have shaped the quality of my decision-making. And I’m truly grateful for that. I always think, now, in terms of consequences. What would be the consequence, for example, of not taking the risk of doing my MBA?” (Kolawole funded his MBA by selling appreciated shares from his time at Microsoft). “Had I not gone to Imperial, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”
Alumni connections
Connections were also a valuable outcome of his time at Imperial. Classes were largely remote due to COVID restrictions, but he was still able to bond with his cohort. “I built lifelong friendships,” he says, “and we still call each other for opportunities.” So far, none of his fellow Imperial alumni in Nigeria have been able to lure him away from Izili, but the support network was invaluable as he balanced full time work with intensive education.
“We actually created a study group in Lagos. We would go to fellow alumni Martin Sonariwo’s office and work late into the night before going home. I really enjoyed that time together.”
Kolawole also made connections with some of the 80 other students from all over the world.
We learned from each other, built relationships. And now, sometimes when you're in London, Paris or New York, you can say hey, I'm around. Who wants to catch a cup of coffee?
Late night studies
Late night studies
Award-winning work
Kolawole’s work has been recognised through several accolades. He enjoyed meeting President Macron of France and exploring the Presidential Palace when he participated in the dinner as part of the state visit of the Nigerian President. He has been recognised as Laureate of the French African Foundation’s Young Leaders Programme in 2021 – an initiative that celebrates African and French professionals driving positive change.
Kolawole meeting President Macron
Kolawole meeting President Macron
He is also a Fellow of the Global Good Fund, a nonprofit that invests in high-potential entrepreneurs working to create meaningful impact in their communities. He was selected for his outstanding leadership in advancing clean energy access and financial inclusion across underserved communities in Nigeria. The award came with a grant of $10,000, which he used to fund a course on inclusive finance at Harvard Business School. Kolawole is also a 2025 Acumen West Africa Fellow, a Senior Research Fellow at the FATE Institute and a Global Training Mentor at JCI.
Leadership
“The leadership philosophy that I share with my team, and they know that I live by is that if you execute excellently, you become competent. If you are competent, you become accountable because you take ownership. If you start taking ownership, you become reliable and we can leave things for you to execute; and the highest level you can get with me is trust. Once I trust you, I leave everything to you.
“My advice for anyone in social enterprise and really, to any young person out there, is don't be limited. And that's what Imperial gave me – the idea that you're not limited to a particular sector. You need to constantly reinvent yourself through lifelong learning.”
More to do
So, what does the future hold?
Some upcoming projects Kolawole will oversee include the scaling of inclusive energy solutions, the development of hybrid green loans in partnership with microfinance institutions, building AI-powered credit scoring engines for energy access, expanding last-mile distribution into new territories, and the expansion of CSR-led initiatives such as ‘Unleash a Child’s Potential’, which brought solar energy to a public school in Ogun State.
“Well, they say the reward for hard work is more work,” he laughs. “Since the Izili board and the shareholders asked me to step up as a group CEO to lead the team across four markets: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Madagascar. Still so much work to be done in driving energy access, reliability, and affordability, and we hope to expand our geographical footprint further.”
But long-term, he’s considering both academia and public service to complete his tri-sector leadership goal. “The funny thing is that my dad retired at the age of 42. I still have more to do. And with all the experience and knowledge I’ve gained, I’d like to help shape policymaking in Nigeria.”
Kolawole is also currently doing a PhD at De Montfort University, focusing on strategic and innovative solutions to poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, so he’s far from finished with academia. Meanwhile, his son is also considering studying abroad. “He’s looking at Imperial,” Kolawole smiles.
Kolawole and his family in Paris
Kolawole and his family in Paris
Words by Sarah Webb | Photography by Adétoyi Adédàmọ́lá | Editing and design by Ellie Cawthera
Imperial's Alumni Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of our alumni community and the variety of ways they are making a real impact across the globe.
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