Tabenyang is an Energy governance and Advisory Expert and has provided consulting, advisory services and technical support to businesses, charitable organizations, governments, and multinational entities. He is also a Research Fellow at the Island Policy Lab and Green Energy Lab at the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware.
Tabenyang has been a frequent participant at energy conferences across Africa with the African Energy Chambers, Environmental restoration in Australia and a panelist on the AIS organized side event on Leveraging Partnerships and Sustainable Climate Financing at the SIDS4 conference in Antigua and Barbuda.
Tabenyang research interests include Energy governance and Policy, financing the energy transition, renewable energy, climate change, and ecological restoration. He conducted research on Regional Energy governance in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
At the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, as Research Fellow, Tabenyang led the pioneering collaboration and partnership between the University of Delaware, the Green Energy Lab and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) on regional energy governance in the Central African Region.
Tabenyang holds an MSc in Energy and Environmental Policy from Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware, a Graduate Certificate in Minerals, Materials and Society from the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of Delaware, an MSc in Accounting from Merrimack College, North Andover, MA, and a B.Sc. in Accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Ayuk’s professional experiences span include but not limited to leadership development, research, consulting, policy formulation and implementation at universities, state and corporate institutions, and Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Currently, Ayuk is a lecturer, assessor, and supervisor of students’ dissertations at the School of Business Leadership and Management, Arden University, United Kingdom, and is also employed by the North Yorkshire Council, United Kingdom. He is also a member of the Diversity and Migration Research Community at Arden University.
Prior to moving to the United Kingdom, Ayuk has been a lecturer and assessor in Management and Leadership Development at the School of Commerce, Milpark Education (PTY) Ltd Johannesburg, South Africa. Considering his current roles at Arden University and previous roles at Milpark Education (PTY) Ltd, Ayuk enjoys the privilege of contributing in capacitating individuals from the corporate, education, public and government sectors with relevant leadership and management skills and competencies required to lead and govern responsibly, as well as for sustainable transformation, growth and development of communities. Ayuk has also worked with a number of NGOs and CBOs in South Africa in conceptualizing and implementing community development initiatives that capacitate members of vulnerable communities and informal business sector with leadership skills and other requisite competencies that engender social cohesion and livelihoods security in such communities.
Before moving to South Africa, Ayuk worked as a Foreign Expert for Culture and Education, and International Student Ambassador in Universities in China and Finland respectively. Ayuk has a PhD degree with specialization in Leadership and Management from the North-West University (Potchefstroom, South Africa), two graduate degrees in leadership (University of Jyvaskyla, Finland) and International Development Studies (University of South Africa, Pretoria) respectively. His research interests include leadership and management development, leading and managing strategic change, leadership for inclusivity/inclusiveness and sustainable development, responsible corporate governance and citizenship, organizational development, transformation and culture, and professional learning communities. Ayuk is an author and has participated in local and international conferences as organizer, presenter and discussant.
Dr. Michael Amoah Awuah is a distinguished political scientist with a diverse and dynamic career that bridges academia, business consulting, public policy, and international development. Specializing in energy, sustainability, and climate governance, Dr. Awuah has partnered with renowned organizations such as the European Union, Accenture, and leading donor-funded NGOs. His expertise spans Energy and Climate Policy, Extractives Policy, and broader Sustainability issues. He is an associate member of the Energy Institute, UK, and holds memberships in prestigious political science associations, including the American Political Science Association (APSA), European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), and International Studies Association (ISA).
Currently, Dr. Awuah is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Integration Studies at the University of Bonn. He is also the acclaimed author of “Energy Regionalism in ECOWAS and the EU: A Comparative and Polycentric Governance Study” and has contributed to numerous other influential publications.
Kunlere is an Energy, Circular Economy, and Sustainability Professional with extensive experience providing cutting-edge advisory services and technical support to multinationals, businesses, and public organizations to help drive sustainable business growth in Nigeria. In addition, he is an Environmental Compliance Specialist with Nigeria’s federal environmental watchdog, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, where he helps to enforce federal environmental laws and multilateral environmental agreements to which Nigeria is a signatory. Kunlere has led several projects in Nigeria’s Manufacturing, Food and Beverage, Iron and Steel, Quarry and Mining, and Power and Energy sectors on emissions prevention and control, climate change, environmental and social impact assessment, ESG, environmental audit, circular economy, energy justice, energy transition, regulatory compliance frameworks, and policy implementation. He also co-founded Wastesmart Initiative, a research and resource support and capacity-building platform that drives sustainability by democratizing access to clean technologies, insights, and opportunities.
Kunlere holds a Master’s in Public Administration (Specialization: Environmental Policy) from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore; a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Technical University Dresden, Germany; an M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; and a B.Sc. Microbiology from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Kunlere is a multiple-award winner; amongst others, he is an ENPEE Scholar, UNEP/UNESCO/BMU Fellow, DAAD Scholarship Nominee, Future Leaders Connect Finalist, YALI West Africa fellow, and EXCEED fellow. He has also co-published peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed scientific publications and written several vital reports, reviews, and articles. In addition, he has delivered key papers at leading international scientific conferences in Nigeria and across five continents.
Kunlere is currently a Ph.D. student in the Energy and Environmental Policy program at the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, University of Delaware, USA, where he is a member of the Island Policy Lab, helping find solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems associated with energy transition, including unintended socioeconomic and environmental impacts, in developed and emerging economies. His ongoing research focuses on strengthening the global green product market by identifying, developing, and optimizing innovative circular economy pathways that harness untapped market demands, consumer preferences, and supply chains.
Naya has worked on several marine biodiversity conservation projects in various protected areas in Cabo Verde. She majored in Biological Sciences at the University of Cabo Verde and obtained a Master’s Degree in Marine Bioresources and Environmental Science at the University of Hokkaido, where she researched marine plastics and their effects on seabirds. Naya’s doctoral research focused on coastal sustainable development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), with a particular emphasis on community participation in decision-making processes, community empowerment, and co-designing methods.
Currently, she is a post-doc researcher at the University of Tokyo working on Nature-based Solutions for climate-resilient communities in Pacific SIDS. She is coordinating the launch of ECOP Cabo Verde Node and is also part of ECOP Africa.