Dr Nicholas Igwe, chemical engineer – Nigeria
The 10th anniversary edition of African Power & Energy Elites recognises the people shaping the continent’s future infrastructure
Dr Nicholas Igwe is a chemical engineer specialising in polymer and water engineering. He is the founder and Chief Executive of Zenith Water Projects and serves at OPS-WASH, the private-sector network driving water, sanitation and hygiene interventions under the UN-hosted Sanitation and Water for All (SWA).
Igwe speaks about water with the urgency of someone who has seen what happens when systems fail and communities are left behind. He describes his work with the ease of habit, yet every sentence carries intent. His mandate, he explains, is to rally the global private sector around SDG6, ensuring companies are not only invited to participate in water, sanitation and hygiene efforts, but are meaningfully woven into them.
For 2026, he says, the priority is “creating environments where businesses are encouraged and empowered to help close technology, finance and efficiency gaps,” especially as climate volatility tightens its grip.
He admits he has always lived by one unconventional fear: avoid regret at all costs. That rule pushes him to embrace bold decisions, even those others might consider reckless.
It is this appetite for risk that has shaped his approach to reimagining WASH systems.
Cover photo: National Coordinator at OPS-WASH in Nigeria, Dr Nicholas Igwe.
