What does a manager and leader do when he transitions after a 26-year career in an establishment? Some seek more of the same in new positions in other companies. Others retire to farming or any of the latest popular careers.
Andy Odeh’s answer is mentoring to upskill young people and build new leaders. Odeh will leave his position as General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development at Nigeria LNG Limited, with mentoring foremost in his mind.
His project is Andy’s Mentoring Circle. Since charity begins at home, circle activities commenced this October at the Youth Resource Centre on Bonny Island! His co-hosts were The Youth Resource Centre Bonny and Technoville Innovation Nigeria. The session sought to “inspire the next generation to dream big and pursue their goals”.
Andy’s Mentoring Circle is a youth development initiative and personal CSR project of Mr Andy Odeh, who is retiring as GM of External Relations and Sustainable Development at Nigeria LNG Limited.
Andy’s Mentoring Circle will share lessons from his 26 years of experience and work in nine fields. It will go beyond Mr Odeh and bring in the expertise and experiences of other leaders who are persuaded about the need to contribute to building soft skills among the youth.
Andy’s Mentoring Circle is a soft-skills effort with enormous potential.
a. It can offer soft skills training. Experts identify this as the missing element in most capacity development programmes.
b. The Soft Skills Centre can run one—or two-week immersion camps to train youths in the soft skills of life, which often count for more than hard skills in career progression.
c. Soft skills mean life skills.
d. It can metamorphose into a leadership development and training institute, such as the Leadership Academy or the Andy Soft Skills Institute.
When you have managed the mega CSR projects of Nigeria’s behemoth NLNG, your canvass has to be significant. Andy Odeh wants to extend Andy’s Mentoring Circle nationwide.
Mr Odeh is not waiting until November 2024 when he steps down. He has commenced. He clocks the NLNG retirement age of 60 on 1 November 2024.
Odeh reported: “Last night (17 October), I was privileged to speak at NLNG’s Leaders Developing Leaders (LDL) session, a flagship knowledge transfer and mentoring programme. Moderated by the talented Linda Henry Ogbu and Victor Segun Henry, the session allowed me to reflect on my career journey in transitioning from mainstream media and public relations into the energy sector and moving through nine different roles within NLNG over 26 years. Each transition shaped my leadership growth, whether learning the energy industry’s complexities or stepping into new leadership responsibilities. One key point I shared with the audience was the importance of adaptability. Every role I took on came with its challenges and opportunities, but what remained constant was the incredible support I received from those around me. The people I’ve worked with—colleagues, mentors, and the teams I led—were instrumental in my journey.”
Andy Odeh is a seasoned communication executive with over three decades of vast experience managing multi-level stakeholder engagement in the Oil and Gas, Advertising and Broadcasting sectors.
His most recent accomplishment is the successful management of the Nigeria LNG Limited brand refresh which involved launching a new logo and pay-off line.
Mr Odeh told BusinessDay: “With Andy’s Mentoring Circle, my vision is to create a transformative space dedicated to knowledge sharing and the strengthening of skills that will last a lifetime. I want each member to experience the same kind of impactful and nurturing mentorship I had—to develop not only the capacity to succeed but also the insight to uplift others.
“The circle would be a place where seasoned voices and emerging talents come together, learning from one another, and equipping each other to make a meaningful impact. My hope is that this mentoring circle will produce a ripple effect: a legacy of capable, resilient professionals who value excellence, integrity, and collaboration.
“Andy’s Mentoring Circle is my commitment to this purpose, and together, we can turn aspirations into action, creating pathways for a brighter, more empowered future.”
As the General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development, Odeh facilitated and signed a multilateral partnership agreement with Nigeria’s Bank of Industry to launch the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Scheme (MSME) to provide financing to local vendors within NLNG’s Host Communities to the tune of 1billion Naira. He also facilitated and commissioned the NLNG Hospital Support Programme, providing healthcare intervention to the tune of $5Million USD to tertiary hospitals in the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. He then successfully designed and delivered the new External Relations & Sustainable Division for the NLNG‘s “Realigning to Win” organizational review project in 2019.
Before NLNG, Andy Odeh worked in integrated marketing communication where he co-created and managed winning Public Relations and Advertising campaigns for leading brands and corporations including Guinness ‘Satzenbrau’ Larger beer launch in Nigeria; Unilever’s ‘Royco’ seasoning cube national launch, Société Générale Bank ‘Cashpoint 24’ consumer campaign; FSB International Bank ‘integrated corporate identity and brand’ launch; Sterling Health’s ‘Andrews Liver Salt’ re-launch and the roll-out of ‘Panadol anti-generic’ campaign, among others.
Read also: Mentoring, redesigned educational policy will encourage more girls participation in STEM – Mgbeoji
He recalls, “As I reflect on the journey that shaped my career, I often think back to those foundational years at Insight Communications.
Under the distinguished leadership of Biodun Shobanjo and Jimi Awosika, I learnt early that growth is a journey best travelled with the guidance and shared wisdom of those who have walked the path before.
Back then, as a management trainee, I was placed in an intense, disciplined environment that demanded excellence yet encouraged me to find my own voice and purpose. This experience ingrained in me the belief that real growth was more than professional success; it’s about knowledge transfer, capacity building, and empowering the next generation to build on our achievements.”
Mr Odeh won the NLNG Limited’s Integrity Person of the Year Award in 2018. He is an alumnus of the Insead Business School and the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
His 26-year career at NLNG took him through government relations and regulatory compliance, corporate communications and public affairs, information management and technology, corporate logistics and business services, community relations and development, economic empowerment and development, and public relations as well as community liaison.
Odeh has membership in several professional bodies including the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR`0, and the he International Public Relations Association (IPRA). He is an alumnus of INSEAD, the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies and the University of Jos./
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
