Why we exist

About us

Africa does not have a shortage of energy projects, or of demand. It has a shortage of projects that reach financial close.

Good ideas stall for the same reasons again and again. The ownership structure isn’t right. The governance won’t survive due diligence. Nobody has done the work that makes an investor comfortable. The people who could fix it write a report and move on to the next client.

Mente Energy was built to close that gap — and to stay on the other side of it.

What we do differently

We are not a consultancy. We take a long-term position in the platforms we help create and we remain involved through financing, construction and operation.

That changes everything about how we work. We are accountable for whether the thing gets built and performs — not for whether the advice was good. It also means we only take on work we believe in, because we live with the result.

We work from Abuja, Lagos, Accra and London.

Our vision

A future where Africa’s clean energy and industrial systems are reliable, competitive and transformative — powering inclusive growth, resilient communities and thriving economies.

Our mission

To build and stay with the clean energy and industrial platforms Africa needs — unlocking capital, strengthening governance and building the partnerships that drive real economic growth.

What we believe

We stay in

Our involvement doesn’t end when the money lands.

Scale is the point

There is more dry powder aimed at African clean energy than there is pipeline it can safely go into. We build platforms because a platform can absorb a serious allocation and repeat, where a single project takes one cheque and stops.

It has to make money to last

Africa is full of assets that were built with grant or donor money and stopped running once that money ran out, because nothing paid for maintenance, spare parts or the people who keep them going. If a project can’t cover its own running costs from real revenue, it won’t survive — however good the idea.

Built in Africa, by Africans, to global standards

Local ownership and international discipline are not a trade-off.

Do it properly the first time

Governance and ESG built in from day one, not bolted on when an investor asks.

Say what’s true

With partners, with investors, with governments.

Our team

Strategic minds. Technical depth. Proven delivery.

Tolu Osekita

Managing Partner

Tolu is an infrastructure investment strategist and former CIO with two decades of global experience. He led the UK’s flagship city-scale Net Zero investment model and has structured over £2.5bn in third-party capital. His work spans clean energy, housing and social infrastructure across Africa, the UK and the Middle East. At Mente, Tolu drives strategy, capital mobilisation and institutional partnerships - translating complex systems into finance-ready delivery models.

Busayo Balogun

Director of ESG & Sustainability

Busayo is a legal and ESG expert with 10+ years’ experience spanning commercial law, oil & gas, clean energy and sustainable development. She began her career at Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie advising on private equity, M&A and energy transactions; then joined Oando to lead ESG integration across operations, strategy and reporting. She now serves as General Counsel to a global development institution.
At Mente, she drives ESG strategy, sustainability due diligence and policy-aligned structuring - ensuring investor-backed projects across Africa meet global standards, national targets and community legitimacy

Michael Ziloudis

Director of Engineering

Michael is a solar and BESS engineer with 20+ years of experience delivering over 3 GW of clean energy projects across four continents. He has led technical delivery for EDF Renewables, advised investors and managed large-scale solar and battery portfolios. At Mente, Michael supports engineering strategy and technical structuring - ensuring bankable, decentralised energy solutions aligned with investor and regulatory expectations.

Steve Pimlott

Director of Strategy

Steve is a senior infrastructure strategist with 20+ years’ experience designing investment pipelines and delivery models for clean energy and urban infrastructure. His past work includes EV rollout strategy for Octopus, heat network aggregation across UK cities and capital mobilisation frameworks for EBRD. At Mente, Steve shapes project pipelines and investment strategy for climate-aligned infrastructure.

Abiola Adekunle

Director of Delivery

Abiola is a real estate and infrastructure specialist with 15+ years’ experience across Nigeria and the UK. With a background in compliance, spatial planning and development finance, she leads the operational delivery and stakeholder engagement across our clients globally. At Mente, she drives joint ventures, land strategy and local partnerships - turning investment plans into real-world, climate-smart infrastructure.

Fisayo Balogun

General Counsel & Company Secretary

Fisayo is an international trade and legal advisor with deep expertise in cross-border transactions, commercial law and corporate governance. She has supported export credit agencies, DFIs and multinational corporates across Africa and Asia, navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes. A former associate at Ajumogobia & Okeke, she holds degrees from King’s College London and LSE. At Mente, Fisayo leads governance, institutional structuring and legal strategy – driving our compliance and trade-aligned growth across jurisdictions.

Who we work with

Our strategic partnerships include Arup as technical partner across the platform, INENSUS on clean energy systems and localisation, Sterling Bank on project finance, and the Rural Electrification Agency on clean energy industrialisation in Nigeria.

Mente Energy is a member of the OECD’s Blue Dot Network and sits on its Expert Consultation Group.