When Monique Ntumngia speaks about energy, it is not just in kilowatts or megawatts—it is in purpose.
The Cameroonian social entrepreneur is on a mission to solve one of Africa’s most pressing challenges: access to clean and affordable energy.
Through her award-winning initiative, Green Girls Organization, Ntumngia is building a bridge between environmental sustainability, energy innovation, and female empowerment.
Born and raised in Cameroon, Monique Ntumngia witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of energy poverty on rural communities.
Her journey into social entrepreneurship began not with a business plan, but with a deep-rooted desire to make a difference.
In 2015, that passion crystallized into Green Girls Organization, a social enterprise that trains young women across Africa to generate renewable energy from biogas and solar sources, enabling them to become green-tech entrepreneurs in their own right.
What sets Ntumngia apart is her unwavering commitment to intersectionality—solving climate challenges while empowering the next generation of African women.
Her model is simple but profound: educate girls on clean energy technologies, equip them with practical tools, and support them in launching their own community-based energy solutions.
The organisation, over time, has trained over 800 girls across Cameroon, Rwanda, and Nigeria, turning local knowledge into local power.
At just 30 years old, Ntumngia’s influence extends far beyond the borders of her home country.
In 2019, she became the recipient of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Award in the Innovator category, further cementing her status as a global change-maker. She is also a recipient of the African Renewable Energy Leader Award, among other accolades recognizing her pioneering work in sustainable development.
But accolades aside, Ntumngia remains focused on scaling impact rather than simply building a brand.
Her vision is long-term: an Africa where every girl is not only energy-literate but economically empowered through sustainability. She is currently expanding the Green Girls initiative into a tech-enabled platform that will offer virtual training modules, community monitoring tools, and mentorship to amplify reach and accelerate adoption.
In a continent where over 600 million people still live without reliable electricity, Monique Ntumngia is proving that the power of innovation is not just technological—it’s human.
By fusing clean energy solutions with a feminist approach to entrepreneurship, she is not only lighting homes but igniting futures.
“Renewable energy is not a luxury; it is a necessity,” Ntumngia often says. And for thousands of girls across Africa, her work is turning that necessity into opportunity.
