In Nigeria’s energy sector, few leaders are navigating the challenges of electricity distribution with as much clarity and long-term focus as Folake Soetan. As Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, she is quietly transforming one of Africa’s largest utility companies into a more accountable, efficient, and people-driven organization.
Her approach is pragmatic, prioritizing operational stability, commercial discipline, and customer responsiveness in a sector often marked by volatility and public frustration.
ALSO READ: Fatma Samoura: Architect of Reform, Champion of Global Integrity
Since assuming the CEO role in 2020, Soetan has steered the company through critical structural shifts, leading initiatives that have significantly reduced energy distribution losses and improved service reliability for thousands of homes and businesses.
With a background that spans banking, aviation, and oil & gas, she brings to the power sector a distinct blend of commercial sensibility and systems thinking. Her early career at British Airways and Virgin Nigeria provided operational grounding in service delivery. Later, at Sahara Group, she managed regional oil operations across Nigeria and Ghana, gaining experience that would prove valuable in the multi-layered logistics of electricity distribution.
At Ikeja Electric, Soetan has focused on building a culture of accountability and performance. Under her leadership, the company introduced a bilateral power model that supplies designated communities with up to 20 hours of electricity daily.
ALSO READ: Rukayat Alabi: Empowering Immigrants, Women through Career Excellence
This shift toward predictable supply has enabled small businesses, schools, and local infrastructure to operate more consistently, reducing reliance on expensive alternatives like diesel generators.
Her time in office has also seen the company attain quality management certifications and implement a digitization strategy that includes automated customer service platforms and remote metering. These changes reflect a clear intention to move from reactive maintenance to proactive system management.
Soetan’s work extends beyond operations. She is a visible advocate for gender inclusion in the energy space and a founding member of the Women in Energy Network (WIEN). Her presence in forums that shape industry policy is a reminder that leadership in infrastructure is no longer a space dominated by one demographic or voice.
Her recognition in national award circuits, including Lagos State’s Eko 100 Women list and multiple sector-based CEO awards, affirms both her visibility and effectiveness.
ALSO READ: African Women in Entrepreneurship: Overcoming Barriers and Shaping the Future
Educated at the University of Lagos and further trained at Harvard Business School, Soetan embodies the trajectory of a professional who has grown across industries by translating experience into impact.
She avoids grandstanding and remains rooted in implementation, a characteristic that sets her apart in a sector often defined by policy talk and project delays.
Her leadership style is measured, her priorities are clear, and her record is quietly reshaping expectations in Nigeria’s power landscape.
For a country where access to electricity remains tied to broader development goals, the work being done under her direction at Ikeja Electric points to what is possible when leadership is focused, informed, and inclusive.
