Commission on African Affairs Ify Bozimo Confirmation Resolution of 2025

MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
February 18, 2024
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350Pennsylvania Avenue,NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
In accordance with section 2 of the Confirmation Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-
142; D.C. Official Code § 1-523.01), and pursuant to section 5 of the Office and Commission on
African Affairs Act of 2006, effective June 8, 2006 (D.C. Law 16-111, D.C. Official Code§ 2-1394),
I am pleased to nominate the following individual:
Ms. Ify Bozimo
Massachusetts A venue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(Ward 6)
for reappointment as a public member of the Commission on African Affairs, for a term to end October
27, 2027.
Enclosed, you will find biographical information detailing the experience of the above-mentioned
nominee, together with a proposed resolution to assist the Council during the confirmation process.
I would appreciate the Council's earliest consideration of this nomination for confirmation. Please
do not hesitate to contact me, or Steven Walker, Director, Mayor's Office of Talent and
Appointments, should the Council require additional information.
Mayor
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A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ndelson
at the request of the Mayor
10 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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15 To confirm the reappointment of Ify Bozimo to the Commission on African Affairs.
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17 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
18 resolution may be cited as the "Commission on African Affairs Ify Bozimo Confirmation
19 Resolution of 2025".
20 Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia confirms the reappointment of:
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22 Ify Bozimo
23 Massachusetts A venue, NW
24 Washington, DC 20001
25 (Ward 6)
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27 as a public member of the Commission on African Affairs, established by section 4 of the Office
28 and Commission on African Affairs Act of 2006, effective June 8, 2006 (D.C. Law 16-111, D.C .
29 Official Code§ 2-1393), for a term to end October 27, 2027.
30 Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia shall transmit a copy of this resolution,
31 upon its adoption, to the nominee and to the Office of the Mayor.
32 Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
Ify Bozimo

Experience

International project finance transaction counsel, admitted in Nigeria and New York, with a good mix of law
firm
and in-house experience. With special focus on renewable energy across the value chain, M&A, and due
diligence, involving negotiation, drafting, and review of contracts for energy and infrastructure projects ;
financial regulations; regulatory, environmental, and social compliance.

EnerSys, Pennsylvania - March 2021 – Present
Corporate Counsel

Managing and negotiating complex commercial transactions across multiple jurisdictions/countries.

Developing corporate policies, procedures and general compliance matters, including applicable global laws
and regulations; designing and conducting trainings for global finance and sales teams.

Direct oversight and supervision of the global corporate governance involving over 115
subsidiaries.

World Bank Group, Washington, DC - January 2017 – February 2021

International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Counsel, Legal Vice Presidency

Advised on scores of corporate commercial and over a dozen international project finance transactions across
Sub Saharan Africa, from project conception, structuring, to completion.

Successfully advised on regulatory compliance, SHA, subscription agreements, loan/syndication as well as
project documents including PPA, EPC, O&M, and offtake agreements, demonstrating a good grasp of the
li
fe cycle of a project, its bankability, negotiating risk allocation, mitigation and deploying due diligence
protocols.

Drafted Terms of Reference for engagement of external counsel, reviewing the proposal, drafting the retainer
ag
reement, managing the work product and relationship between the business teams and external counsel.

Ensured environmental and social compliance for all investment project financing in the Africa Energy
Program. This involved an in-depth review of relevant project documents, including Project Appraisal
Documents, Project Papers, Disclosed Safeguards Instruments, Restructuring Papers and Legal Agreements.

Solola & Akpana, Port Harcourt, Nigeria (Chambers Global Ranked Law Firm) January 2005- July 2016
Senior Associate and Head of Business Development

As transaction counsel in the project finance and energy practice group, advising the Government on PPP
structure and governing documents, including Concession and Implementation Agreements. Negotiating and
ensuring quality control of cross-border project finance documents including equity documents, EPC, O&M,
PP
A, and off take agreements on behalf of project sponsors, host governments and government contracting
agencies under: PPP - BOOT; and privatization structures.

Select projects have included:

 Gaia Platform, Morocco - Joint development project between IFC InfraVentures, Blended Finance -
through the Finland-IFC Blended Finance for Climate Program and Gaia Energy, a Moroccan based wind
energy developer for a Platform of 20 wind projects in 9 countries across Africa

 Yoma Micro Power, Myanma - Member of the IFC InfraVentures team advising on a project to build,
own, operate and maintain micro power plants and mini-grids to generate and distribute electricity for use
by telecommunication towers and their customers

 Mpatamanga Hydroelectric Power Project, Malawi - Advising as part of the World Bank Group team to
assess the potential to develop, finance, construct and operate a 309MW hydroelectric project on a public
private partnership basis with the government of Malawi

 Segou Solaire, Mali - Advising IFC on the design, development, engineering, procurement and
m
aintenance of the greenfield solar photovoltaic plant with a total capacity of approximately 33MW in
the Segou region of Mali

 Wapsila - Ewekoro IPP Project, Nigeria - Advising IFC on the Ewekoro IPP project for the development
and expansion of an existing 90MW captive power plant to approximately 310MW. The project is to be
owned by Wapsila Nigeria Limited, an SPV formed by Lafarge Africa plc, Wartsila Power Plants and IFC

 Rail - Lead counsel for the Government alongside foreign counsel in the Build Own Operate and Transfer
concession agreement for the construction and operation of the State Railway System

 Port Terminal - Lead transaction counsel for the project sponsors in the development of a Port Terminal
for the Indorama Eleme Fertilizer project. The project involved the design, engineering, procurement,
installation and construction of a Port Terminal consisting of a Multipurpose Jetty, Storage Facilities and
Terminal Infrastructure at the Onne Free Zone, Port Harcourt

 Monte@Rivers, South Africa - Lead transaction counsel and Board Secretary representing the SPV for
the PPP with Government and an international consortium for a project fashioned after Montecasino,
Johannesburg

 Counsel for several other projects including roads, health care, and water reticulation project

Education

Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC
Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law (LL.M.) (with Distinction), 2017
Ambrose Alli University, Nigeria,
LL.B (JD) (Honours), 2002

 Research Focus: International Project Finance and Investments; International Business Transactions –
FCPA, UK Bribery Act; Managing Political Risks in Emerging Markets Project Finance
 Activities: Fellow, Institute of International Economic Law

Bar Admissions:
Nigeria; State of New York

Awards & Recognition

 Dean’s List Honoree, Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2017
 Named in the lawyers to watch out for in Nigeria, 2016
 Best Legal Staff, Business Development, Solola & Akpana, December, 2013

Other Interests and Engagements

Involved in several community development/volunteer efforts, including –

 Commissioner, African Affairs, Government of the District of Columbia
 Member, Advisory Board – Martha’s Table
 Secretary, Rotary Club of Washington Global
 Pro bono a
ttorney – DC Volunteer Lawyers’ Project

Currently working on the recipe for the world’s hottest
sauce; DJ-ing; and attending live Formula1 races around
the world

Executive Office of the Mayor – Mayor’s Office of Talent and Appointments
John A. Wilson Building | 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20004

Ify Bozimo

Ms. Ify Bozimo is a corporate counselor with EnerSys. She previously
served as a consultant with the International Finance Corporation at the
World Bank Group.
Ms. Bozimo has over 14 years of experience in a variety of areas
spanning legal, corporate governance, communications, compliance,
and board secretariat. She has also worked as an assistant to a chief
executive officer, with duties including speech writing and editing. She
has represented host governments, state -owned entities, private equity
investors, and project companies. Ms. Bozimo has relevant experience
living and working in Africa for several years and a fresh perspective
from living and working in the District of Columbia over the past few years.
A Ward 6 resident, Ms. Bozimo earned her Bachelor of Laws from Ambrose Alli University and
her Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law from Georgetown University.

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser

Office of the General Counsel to the Mayor

______________________________________________________________________________
The John A. Wilson Building • 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Suite 300 • Washington, D.C. 20004 • Office (202) 724-7681

To: Kimberly A. Bassett, Steve Walker
From: Betsy Cavendish
Date: February 14, 2025
Subject: Legal sufficiency review of a resolution reappointing Ify Bozimo as a member of
the Commission on African Affairs
This is to Certify that this office has reviewed the above-referenced Order and found
it to be legally unobjectionable. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate
to call Michael Porcello, Deputy General Counsel, Executive Office of the Mayor, at 202-727-
0872, or me at 202-724-7681.

______________________________
Elizabeth Cavendish