about us

The YEAC UK is set up to provide Governance and raise grant funding so we can scale fast.

governance

The YEAC UK is set up to raise grant funding for renewable energy projects, and manage and re-invest future cash-flows back into the communities we serve. Our aim is thus to become financially self-sustainable as soon as possible so no new external grant funding is needed and demonstrate how a sustainable just energy transition can be done, at scale, and at pace.

The Governance is provided by our executive team and our board of advisors. Collectively we have deep experience of finance, legal, investment, renewable energy, community engagement and advocacy. With strong links within the UK and Africa, our team of advisors are coming together around one purpose; to support and accelerate a just and decentralised energy transition in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.

Helena is an environmental sustainability expert and commercial strategy business consultant. She is a Chartered management accountant and project manager with a background in financial services. She helped set up XR Catalysers in 2019 identifying the need and power of dialogue.

She is a Director and co-founder of This is Agency, a non-profit organisation that brings together a wealth of experience and knowledge – from insight, research, brand marketing, advertising, human psychology, deep ecology, systems theory, project delivery and change management.

She has been working with Fyneface on ways to break the dependency on illegal oil-refining in the Niger Delta since December 2021 and is Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre UK, that is set up to provide funding and governance to deliver groundbreaking renewable energy projects in the Niger Delta region. She is Norwegian and lives in England with her family.

Fyneface is a Niger Delta region of Nigeria-based environmental justice activist, human right defender, climate change campaigner and Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC) charity based in Nigeria.

Fyneface has over 12 years of experience in the civil society and development sectors where he has authored/co-authored over 20 different publications on different thematic areas including Climate Change, Artisanal Crude Oil Refining and Ogoni Clean-up among others.

Fyneface currently serves as the National Facilitator, Project with Artisanal Crude Oil Refiners for Modular Refineries in the Niger Delta, Network Against Organized Crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea (NAOCINAG). In 2020, he proposed the establishment of a “Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI), an initiative that innovates, modernizes and legalizes artisanal refineries to be more environmental-friendly.

Serena is currently a Director and Associate General Counsel at Citigroup. She is the EMEA Head of Legal for Futures, Derivatives Clearing and Collateral and UK Head of Legal for Corporate Treasury. Based in London, Serena is also an independent board member of a number of companies across a variety of sectors, including pensions and cyber security insurance.

As a derivatives lawyer with over 15 years’ experience in banking and finance, Serena has extensive strategy, financial and regulatory knowledge, which she has exhibited in her advisory roles on the boards on which she is a member. Serena thrives on collaboration, cohesion and communication, and brings these values to each of her boards.

She has a personal interest in the Niger Delta and the environmental devastation in the region.

Noo is a London-based author and journalist. Born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in England, she attended King’s College London and Columbia University in New York.

She is a features writer for Condé Nast Traveller magazine, and has contributed book reviews, travel, opinion and analysis articles for The Guardian newspaper, The Financial Times, The Times Literary Supplement, City AM, Chatham House and The New York Times, among others.

Her first book, Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (Granta), was published to critical acclaim in 2012. Her second book, Black Ghost, explores the African community in China and will be published by Canongate in 2023.

Noo is the daughter of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, who campaigned against environmental pollution and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta.

Mariama is the Founder & Director of Smiling Through Light which provides clean, reliable & Sustainable energy in Sierra Leone. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone she started the company after a trip to Sierra Leone in 2011, on a placement with Restless Development as a SRH Curriculum Development Technical Assistant. As a young girl growing up in Sierra Leone, she also studied by a kerosene lamp at night and understands the importance of clean and sustainable energy.

Her current and previous roles include working on development projects at local, national and international levels relating to Science & Technology, HIV, Microbicides, Education and Innovation. She has worked with organisations such as SciDev.Net, African Health Policy Network, VSO, DFID, SIDA, African Development Association for Progress, Restless Development, UN and Africa UK in contributing towards the development of Africa.

She has always been interested in development issues especially on poverty, energy, education, sexual and reproductive health and HIV issues relating to women and young people. Mariama has a MSc in Development Studies from Birkbeck University and BSc (Hons) in Psychology.

Chris was the Director covering Education, Quality and Commissioning, for the NHS in the North West, covering education strategy and contracts, workforce development, Deanery and medical and dental school liaison.

He had previously been an NHS trust Finance Director. He was also Lay member for Finance, Governance and Audit for Manchester Health and Care Commissioning and a trustee for Manchester HOME and Stockport Plaza Theatre trust. He has held a number of trustee and non executive roles within the social care and housing sector.

He is a listening volunteer for Samaritans and engaged in suicide prevention training and activities. He is a climate activist with Extinction Rebellion, part of the UK action wellbeing team, facilitator for XR Accountants and involved in Manchester XR groups. Outside of his voluntary activities, Chris does lots of hill walking and tennis and has a wide range of interests including film, theatre, art, architecture and philosophy. Chris is married with three grown-up children and lives in Cheadle Hulme.

Alex is a Partner at Greencrowd Partnership LLP and Director at Smiling Through Light. Born on the African continent, he is based out of Italy and through his work combines his passion for addressing climate change and social impact.

He has 15 years’ experience in social impact investment, sustainable energy consulting and advisory, working in-house and externally for startups through to FTSE100 companies. He has delivered work for organisations across four continents and brings with him expertise of working in the Global North and the Global South, including advising companies in Nigeria.