Meet the women shaping the future of oil and gas in Nigeria

Here are 10 women who are inspiring inclusion and breaking gender biases in the oil and gas sector.

Catherine Uju Ifejika

Catherine Ifejika is the chairman and chief executive officer of Britannia-U, an indigenous integrated company that provides subsurface engineering, exploration and production, and consulting services in the energy sector.

After graduating from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State, with a law degree, she was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1986.

Ifejika, a fellow of the Institute of Arbitration and Conciliation and a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, started her career in the oil and gas sector in 1987 as a junior counsel in Texaco’s legal department. She advanced to the position of secretary for public and government affairs for West Africa.

Additionally, she served on the board of directors of the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture from 2001 to 2002.

Folorunsho Alakija

Currently holding the position of vice-chairman at Famfa Oil Limited, Folorunsho Alakija is regarded as one of the wealthiest black women in the world.

Alakija’s company, Famfa Limited, was granted a licence to explore oil on a 617,000-acre area known as OPL 216. She transferred 40 percent of her 100 percent ownership to Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, a Texaco subsidiary, and they were named as technical consultants for exploration as part of a joint venture agreement she signed.

After the company discovered oil, the government attempted to acquire a 50 percent share, but Alakija filed a lawsuit and won.

Forbes magazine listed her as the 96th most powerful woman in the world in 2014. Alakija also founded the non-governmental Rose of Sharon Foundation, which has empowered many widows, orphans, and underprivileged individuals.

Amy Jadesimi

Amy Jadesimi is the CEO of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL).

She earned her first degree in psychological sciences from Oxford University and her second degree in medicine from the Oxford University Medical School.

Following graduation from medical school, Jadesimi worked in London for Goldman Sachs International’s investment banking division, where she specialised in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. She attended Stanford Business School in California, USA, to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Administration to further her expertise.

In 2004, Jadesimi joined LADOL, a logistics base designed to meet the specific needs of deep water offshore oil and gas operations in and around Nigeria.

Her achievements were acknowledged in 2014 when Forbes Magazine named her one of ‘The 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa’. In addition, she was a founding member of the Commission on Business and Sustainable Development.

Godfrey Ogbechie

Godfrey Ogbechie is the group executive director of Rainoil Limited.

Ogbechie earned a degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension from the University of Calabar in 1988. She started her career in the banking sector, working for Fidelity Bank Plc and Universal Trust Bank Limited in a variety of roles. During her tenure in the banking industry, she accumulated substantial expertise in operations, customer service, audit, and human resource management.

With her vast knowledge and expertise, Ogbechie has had a significant impact on Rainoil’s operations. She is responsible for overseeing the corporate support service functions of the organisation, including human resources, information technology, and administration and facilities management.

Victoria Samson

As a dealer for Texaco Nigeria Limited, Victoria Samson started her career in the oil and gas sector.

Samson won the company’s Best Dealer Award in recognition of her remarkable work. Later, in 1980, she and her husband, Bamidele Samson, co-founded the Bovas Group.

The company’s first filling station opened in Osogbo, Osun State, in 1991. It was founded as an independent petroleum marketing company. Since then, the business has expanded, and it now runs 119 service stations throughout Nigeria. Bovas Group launched a liquefied petroleum gas facility in 1995, and it currently runs about 20 gas skids.

Bola Shagaya

Bola Shagaya is the founder of Voyage Oil and Gas Limited, an exploration company, and the managing director of Practoil Limited, a business that imports and sells base oil in Nigeria.

Before starting her own business, she worked in the audit division of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Her first commercial endeavour involved the importation and marketing of photographic supplies throughout West Africa and Nigeria.

Shagaya studied accounting at Armstrong College in California, USA and holds an economics degree from Ahmadu Bello University in Kaduna.

Audrey Ezigbo

Along with her husband, Audrey Ezigbo co-founded Falcon Corporation Limited, and she has been instrumental in the expansion and success of the business.

The oil and gas corporation offers a variety of services, such as distribution of natural gas and engineering, procurement, construction, and real estate.

Audrey serves as the managing director and primary strategist of Falcongaz Limited, in addition to her position at Falcon Corporation Limited. She is a former president of the Nigeria Gas Association.

Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka

Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka serves as an executive director of Sahara Group, a Nigerian energy and infrastructure company with operations in over 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She is a former CEO of Asharami Synergy, a subsidiary of Sahara Group.

She attended Harvard University in Boston, USA, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Lagos in 1991. There, she earned a certification in General Management in 2008.

She worked as an accountant for KLM from 1998 to 2001. In 2002, she moved on to work for Sahara Group. In 2006, she was promoted from Finance Manager to Group Treasurer. She was appointed CEO of the company’s trading division in 2009.

Winifred Akpani

Winifred Akpani is the managing director and chief executive officer of Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company Limited, a business involved in the exploration, production, and marketing of petroleum products.

Northwest Petroleum has developed into a major player in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. With operations in petroleum product distribution, retail, and storage, the corporation is well-represented in the industry’s downstream sector.

She also participates in several charitable endeavours, focusing mostly on education, where she has supported the education of numerous underprivileged Nigerian children.