Bunmi Bashiru: Engineer driving sustainability, change in global energy sector
For more than 15 years, Bunmi Bashiru has worked in the global energy industry. As a Project Engineer at Schneider Electric, she leads efforts that promote sustainability in industries. Her work reflects her belief that the future of energy must balance human needs and environmental responsibility.
Bashiru was born to a father who worked as an HVAC technician without formal education and a mother who sold food by the roadside. Despite limited resources, she pursued her goal of becoming an engineer. In a class of more than 100 students, with only 20 women, she graduated in the top 10 percent. This set the stage for a career that has included downstream oil and gas distribution, upstream production, and now sustainability.
Her move into the sustainable energy sector coincided with global discussions about energy production and environmental concerns. Motivated by curiosity and a desire to address energy challenges, she began focusing on producing energy that serves markets without harming the environment.
Her career was shaped by personal loss when she lost her father while completing her Master’s degree. The event caused significant disruption during her project presentation week, but she continued her studies to honour his memory.
Bashiru has contributed to organisational change through her leadership. One career highlight came when she led a cross-functional team during a three-day sprint to secure the OML 102 bid. Her coordination and planning helped her company move from oil servicing to oil production, altering its business trajectory.
Her colleagues note that she creates an environment where team members feel valued. She has often explained that leadership, for her, is about combining individual strengths to reach collective goals.
Bashiru also explores technology and its potential role in energy. She believes artificial intelligence will influence sustainable growth and looks for ways to apply it to energy solutions.
One of her goals is to design an offshore drilling method that extracts fossil fuels without damaging marine ecosystems. She has described this as part of addressing the global challenge of meeting energy demand, protecting the environment, and sustaining economic development.
Beyond her professional work, Bashiru runs a foundation that provides tuition support for children of widows and single mothers. Through this initiative, she aims to make education more accessible, recognising that opportunity, rather than ability, is often the barrier to success.
She has been recognised by peers and mentors in the industry. One of the compliments she values most is that she creates spaces where people feel heard.
Looking ahead, Bashiru sees herself in a director-level role within the next five years, shaping sustainability strategies that influence industries worldwide. She has said that her long-term goal is to fulfil her talents and opportunities fully, leaving nothing unused.
