Oluniyi Robbin-Coker

Oluniyi Robbin-Coker has served as Minister of Energy in Sierra Leone since February 2012. He is leading the effort to restructure and improve on the power sector to achieve an unprecedented 1000MW of grid distributed power to serve the needs of booming mining and industrial sectors as well rapid urbanization amid a fast growing population. In May 2013 Niyi was elected to chair a Mano River Union working group on “Women’s economic empowerment through increased access to sustainable energy.”

Prior to his appointment as Energy Minister, he served as Private Sector Advisor (PSA) to H.E the President of Sierra Leone for three years. During his tenure as Private Sector advisor, he was instrumental in shaping and implementing the Government’s strategy to drive private sector led growth which resulted in a 500% increase in the Foreign Direct Investment pipeline, as well as negotiated investment deals including the country’s first Bio-mass fueled IPP Power Purchase Agreement. Additionally Mr. Robbin Coker was responsible for crafting the Government’s Public Private Partnership policy and the “Local Content” Policy.

Before his appointment as PSA, Niyi spent eighteen months with the IFC in Sierra Leone and seven years with Citigroup in New York. He has an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management in the UK and is married with four kids.