Launching the African Alumni Online Speaker Series, this kick off event spotlights Hertie School alumni who are actively contributing to climate action, energy transitions, and policy innovation across Africa and globally.
Africa sits at the centre of the global energy and climate debate. The continent faces acute climate vulnerabilities alongside rapidly growing energy demand, while also holding significant potential for renewable energy and innovation. As a result, decisions made in African contexts are not only regional responses, but increasingly influential for global climate action and development pathways.
Bringing together alumni working across climate policy, energy systems, finance, and governance, the panel draws on diverse professional experiences from Africa and beyond. Panellists will discuss what a just energy transition looks like in different African contexts, how countries can balance development priorities with climate commitments, and which policy, financing, and governance approaches are showing promise. The conversation will also highlight what global and European policymakers can learn from African led solutions and perspectives.
This event is open to members of the Hertie community, as well as policy professionals and practitioners with an interest in climate, energy, and global governance.
To join the event, please register here.
Panellists:
Rukaiya el-Rufai, MPP 2008
Rukaiya El-Rufai is the Special Advisor to the President on the National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate Change in Nigeria, domiciled at the Office of the Vice President. She holds an MPA in Public Policy and Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Hertie School. With over 15 years of industry and consulting experience, Rukaiya has worked with public and private sector clients on sustainability and climate change. She's a chartered accountant and a regular speaker at conferences.
Nibwene Mwakibinga, MIA 2024
Nibwene Mwakibinga has expertise in energy transition, with a focus on energy access and just transitions. She is a contributing researcher and co-author of an upcoming report on fossil fuel revenue replacements in Angola, Senegal and Tanzania for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. Her experience includes roles at IRENA, UNFCCC, GIZ, PIK and RIFS Potsdam. She has an MA in International Affairs from the Hertie School and a BA in International Relations from Jacobs University Bremen.
Emmanuel Makumba Mali (PhD), MPP 2012
Emmanuel Makumba Mali (PhD) is a Zambian diplomat serving as the director of democracy and good governance and also acting as the Director for Peace and Security at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Burundi. He oversees regional protocols aimed at promoting non-aggression and mutual defense, good governance, democracy, and reducing illegal exploitation of natural resources. Previously, he worked as a public policy specialist in the Zambian Cabinet Office and served as an advisor in various diplomatic missions, including the Netherlands and Germany. Emmanuel holds a doctorate in governance and leadership from the University of Lusaka, a Master's in Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Development Studies from the University of Zambia. He is currently finalizing a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Dag Hammarskjöld Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Copperbelt University.
Moderator: Vermon Washington, MPP 2026
Vermon Washington is a second‑year MPP student from Liberia, focusing on policy analysis with a particular interest in climate and energy policy. He is keen to use empirical evidence to support informed policy decision‑making in response to the climate crisis and has a growing interest in the economics of energy policy, including energy inequality and the political economy of development in the context of the green transition.