Online Reporter
Bheki Ndlovu
AS Zimbabwe continues to endure rolling blackouts stretching up to eighteen hours a day, citizens are reminded of the fragility of the nation’s energy supply.
For decades, the country has relied almost exclusively on two pillars: Kariba’s hydropower station and the Hwange coal plants. But with Kariba’s output repeatedly undermined by drought and Hwange’s equipment straining under age, Zimbabwe generates just under 1,200 megawatts against a peak demand of nearly 1,800 megawatts.
The shortfall forces the nation to lean heavily on imports from South Africa and Mozambique, at a monthly cost of roughly US$20 million.
For households, the consequences are stark: nights by candlelight, costly reliance on diesel generators, or shutting down small businesses altogether.
For industries, power shortages translate into production cuts and layoffs, all against the backdrop of currency volatility and strained public finances. For policymakers, the energy deficit is an unavoidable reminder that without radical action, the country’s development trajectory remains precarious.
Across Africa, however, other nations have begun reimagining their energy strategies.
Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin gas discoveries are turning it into an emerging LNG hub.
Kenya has diversified its power generation portfolio with geothermal and wind. SouthAfrica, despite its own power woes, is experimenting with independent producers to plug capacity gaps. And in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and its largest oil producer, decades of investment in offshore construction, pipelines, and modular platforms continue to sustain both exports and domestic energy.
Into this context steps Engr. Olugbemi G. Tokunbo, a Lead Offshore Construction Engineer with Chevron Nigeria Limited. Currently working in the Escravos operations area, Tokunbo is no stranger to the toughest challenges the industry can throw at an engineer.
Over two decades, his career has spanned offshore jacket decommissioning, riser piping installation, subsea repairs, hydro-testing, cladding, and heavy-lift operations that demand extraordinary precision and discipline. His words, delivered with a calm but firm authority, resonate deeply in a country still seeking an energy breakthrough.
“I see engineering as service to society,” he begins. “It is not just about installing pipelines or repairing platforms; it is about ensuring communities can rely on stable energy, that nations can power their economies, and that the next generation of engineers are trained to take over. That is what motivates me, and that is what Zimbabwe must embrace in its own way.”
Tokunbo’s path has been one of steady ascent. Born in Ijebu-Ode, he graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1995, later adding an MSc in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Lagos. His education built the foundation for a career defined not just by technical mastery but by leadership, safety, and mentorship. At Chevron, where he is currently responsible for leading fabrication, testing, and construction teams, he has delivered projects under budget and ahead of schedule. Among his proudest milestones was the Condensate
Stabilizer Reboiler repair at Escravos in 2013, finished incident-free three weeks early and later presented in Houston as a global case study of efficiency and safety.
Sidebar: Nigeria vs Zimbabwe – Energy Snapshot (2020)
Indicator Nigeria Zimbabwe
Installed capacity
(MW) ~12,500 ~2,200
Actual generation
(MW)
~4,000–5,00
0 ~1,200
Peak demand (MW) 20,000+ ~1,800
Electrification rate 55% 41%
Rural electrification 39% 34%
Power imports Minimal 20–30% of supply
When asked what lessons Zimbabwe can take from Nigeria’s offshore experience, Tokunbo is unflinching: three stand out. The first is the centrality of local content.
Nigeria’s establishment of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in 2010 was pivotal. It ensured nationals were not merely laborers, but project leaders, welders, engineers, and decision-makers embedded in the industry. Tokunbo recalls facilitating NCDMB-approved training in Warri, where young Nigerian engineers learned alongside multinational contractors. “Capacity-building is not optional; it is survival,” he stresses.
“Zimbabwe’s power sector must embed local engineers from day one—not just as assistants, but as innovators. Every megawatt generated should carry the imprint of Zimbabwean expertise.”
The second lesson is safety. In his world, nothing is more sacred. “No barrel of oil, no megawatt of power, is worth a human life,” he says firmly.
Offshore, his teams follow strict rituals: reviewing procedures, pre-mobilising equipment, conducting behavioral- based safety sessions, and enforcing emergency training. He believes this culture is directly transferable to Zimbabwe.
“Safety culture must start from the top. In Nigeria, before a single lift offshore, we ensure compliance. That rigor can save miners in Hwange, technicians at Kariba, or solar workers in Gwanda.”
Zimbabwe’s record underscores the urgency. The Chamber of Mines recorded more than 200 workplace fatalities in 2019. Tokunbo insists that safety is not a cost but an investment in human capital and continuity.
The third lesson is planning infrastructure with communities in mind. Offshore, he explains, every subsea repair or deck installation is part of a broader ecosystem:
“Communities rely on fuel, industries depend on gas feedstock. Neglect the end-users and your infrastructure becomes a stranded asset.”
Zimbabwe offers painful examples.
Farmers lose crops when blackouts halt irrigation. Hospitals spend fortunes on diesel for generators. Businesses shut their doors during outages.
For Tokunbo, this is proof that energy planning must serve people, not just meet megawatt targets.
Sidebar: Zimbabwe’s Energy Deficit by the Numbers (2020)
- Peak demand: ~1,800 MW
- Available supply: ~1,200 MW
- Deficit: ~600 MW (one-third of total demand)
- Power imports bill: ~US$20 million/month
- Load shedding: up to 18 hours/day in cities
The fiscal burden of Zimbabwe’s energy dependency is sobering. Annual import bills of around US$240 million drain resources that could instead fund domestic solar farms, coal-bed methane exploration in Lupane, or decentralized hydropower projects.
International Renewable Energy Agency data suggest Zimbabwe could generate over 1,000 MW from solar alone with proper investment. For Tokunbo, the path is clear:
diversification. “Don’t wait for one mega-dam or one coal plant,” he advises. “Build small hydro, integrate solar into rural communities, reinforce transmission lines. Diversification cushions shocks—when one system fails, another sustains.”
His convictions are backed by decades of practice. At Chevron, he developed Facilities Capacities Lists still in use after more than fifteen years. He has led tandem lifts decommissioning bulk plants, and championed programmes ensuring new engineers gained direct exposure to international standards.
“I am proudest when I mentor younger engineers,” he says. “In every project, I ask: what will this teach the next generation? If we fail to pass on knowledge, we fail our nations.”
Tokunbo’s testimony, grounded in years of execution and foresight, offers exactly the kind of planning discipline Zimbabwe so urgently requires.
Sidebar: Causes of Blackouts in Zimbabwe (2020)
- Kariba Dam droughts reducing hydropower by up to 50%
- Ageing Hwange coal units breaking down repeatedly
- Transmission losses as high as 17%
- Import dependency from Eskom (South Africa) and EDM (Mozambique)
- Underinvestment in solar despite vast potential
As our discussion draws to a close, Tokunbo turns reflective. “Africa cannot afford to reinvent the wheel in every country,” he says.
“We must learn from each other. Zimbabwe has engineers, has talent—what is needed is structured investment, partnerships, and the courage to insist on world-class standards.”
For him, the country’s future does not hinge on whether Kariba expands or Hwange is refurbished. It depends on embedding foresight, integrity, and technical rigor into every project.
It means insisting on safety and building a generation of skilled professionals who can sustain progress.
Zimbabwe’s energy future may not lie offshore, but the lessons from the oil platforms of the Niger Delta remain invaluable. As Tokunbo reminds us, engineering is not about borders. It is about building the foundations for prosperity, one pipeline, one power plant, one safety drill at a time.
derick.khumalo