Former interior minister’s media aide, Ridwan Adelaja joins Husk Power as Strategic Communications Manager

A career pivot that speaks of sectoral transition has seen Ridwan Adelaja, a former Media Aide to Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was appointed as Strategic Communications Manager at Husk Power Systems. 

Adelaja joins Husk, a global energy technology company operating across Africa and Asia, weeks after he left the Nigerian Ministry of Interior with a friendly departure. 

The new appointment marks Adelaja’s formal entry into the renewable energy and climate-tech ecosystem after more than a decade of shaping narratives for startups, business leaders, and government institutions. 

Confirming the move in a LinkedIn announcement on Thursday, Adelaja wrote, “So, here is what is next: Renewable Energy. I have joined Husk Power, where I will be serving as Manager, Strategic Communications.” 

His transition from public sector communications under the Interior Minister, Hon.  (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to an energy company underscores a broader professional recalibration that situates communications at the heart of Africa’s energy access and sustainability discourse.

Who is Ridwan Adelaja?

Ridwan Adelaja is a trained newsroom journalist, comms specialist, poet and chartered people manager, who has built a reputation in crafting compelling institutional narratives and simplifying complex policy and business messages for diverse audiences.

He brings over a decade of professional experience spanning journalism, corporate communications, event management, and government media strategy. 

Earlier in his career, Adelaja worked as a business and technology journalist in some of Nigeria’s leading newsrooms, including Nairametrics, Ventures Africa, Ripples Nigeria, Technext, Arbiterz, and Techparley Africa. 

Across these platforms, he reported on business, innovation, and public policy, where he sharpened an analytical style that blends storytelling with institutional insight.

His career evolution into strategic communications saw him advising startups, business executives, and government organisations, placing him as a cross-sector communicator capable of navigating both private and public institutional landscapes.

Inside Husk Power Systems

Founded in 2008 in India, Husk is the world’s largest portfolio owner and operator of private-sector mini-grids.

In his announcement, Adelaja highlighted the scale and ambition of his new employer, Husk Power System.

“A global energy tech company that operates an AI-enabled Distributed Energy Resources (DER) platform to deliver clean and cheap electricity to millions of underserved and unserved communities in Africa and Asia,” he notes.

The company’s mission is both bold and urgent. “In Africa alone, over 600 million people, which is approximately half the continent’s population, still do not have access to power,” Adelaja wrote, describing the reality as “that bad, and unthinkable.”

Husk’s immediate target, according to its new communications manager, is to deliver 2GW of clean energy across the Global South by 2030, a benchmark that places it squarely within the continent’s broader electrification and climate-transition agenda.

His Days at the Ministry of Interior

Before this appointment, Adelaja served as Media Aide to the Minister of Interior under the Office of the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. 

In that role, he supported communications efforts for agencies under the ministry, including the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Fire Service (FFS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

His responsibilities included shaping media narratives, coordinating public messaging, and ensuring institutional communications reflected policy priorities while remaining accessible to citizens. 

Observers note that his experience in simplifying complex governance issues and positioning agencies as customer-focused institutions contributed to improved public engagement around the interior ministry activities.

That experience in managing multi-agency messaging now appears to provide a strong foundation for navigating the multi-stakeholder environment of a global energy company working across governments, investors, and rural communities.

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

His Direct Answer to the Question: “What Next?” 

Following his resignation from the ministry, one recurring question that confronted him was what was next? His LinkedIn announcement directly addressed that curiosity.

“One question I have been asked repeatedly in the past weeks is what next? So, here is what is next, Renewable Energy,” he wrote, pointing to a deliberate shift rather than a pause in public-facing work.

In a tone that blended personal conviction with corporate advocacy, he invited his network into his journey with his new employer, Husk Power System. 

“The next time you come across a post (text, image, video or any creative at that) from Husk, do well to support the good work we are doing to electrify the world. A Like is okay. A Repost is awesome. A Comment is most amazing.”

What Adelaja Aims to Achieve at Husk

Adelaja’s mandate at Husk centres on strategic storytelling and stakeholder engagement. 

He expressed hope that he would “work across departments to craft compelling stories, develop impactful communications strategies, and foster stakeholder relationships across governments, investors, and communities.”

Communications, he noted, “stretches and requires someone who is fluid, and ready for new challenges,” suggesting that his new role will involve cross-functional collaboration within the organisation’s operations and growth strategy.

Beyond internal alignment, the broader mission remains electrification at scale. Husk’s target of delivering 2GW of clean energy across the Global South by 2030 identifies the company as impact-driven, especially as the world drives toward adopting more sustainable energy sources. 

This, by extension, also mirrors its communications strategy, within global conversations about climate resilience, infrastructure financing, and equitable development.

Adelaja framed his new role not merely as employment, but as commitment, “Husk is my new commitment. And, you will read from me from time to time on our progress.”

A Career Move with Broader Implications

While the appointment is, at its surface, a straightforward career announcement, it also reflects a growing intersection between governance communications and climate-tech advocacy. As Africa intensifies efforts to address energy poverty and accelerate renewable adoption, narrative shaping becomes as critical as infrastructure deployment.

Adelaja’s movement from the corridors of public administration to the frontlines of renewable energy communications reinforces how professional communicators are increasingly central to development agendas. 

His transition may also show a broader trend of cross-sector mobility, where experience in public policy messaging becomes valuable capital within mission-driven private enterprises.

For Husk Power Systems, the addition of a communications professional with newsroom training and government experience suggests an intention to deepen engagement across policymakers, investors, and communities. 

For Adelaja, the move appears to be both a career progression and a redefinition, from government spokesperson to clean energy advocate.

As he concluded in his announcement, the invitation is open. “I hereby invite you, yes, you, as a friend, cheerleader, or investor to join the movement.”

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