Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN), has been honored with the “Award of Excellence to an Astute and Visionary Technocrat” by the executive leadership of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN).
The award was presented during a recent ceremony in Lagos by PETAN’s executive team, led by its chairman, Engineer Wole Ogunsanya.
The accolade recognizes Okunbor’s outstanding leadership at Shell and the strong, ongoing partnership between Shell, PETAN, and its member companies.
Ogunsanya highlighted Shell’s crucial role in fostering local capacity within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. He praised Shell’s long-standing support, noting that many PETAN member companies had achieved their first major breakthroughs while working with Shell, with numerous others still providing services to Shell today.
“PETAN member companies pledge to consistently deliver quality products and services to Shell,” Ogunsanya said, adding that the partnership between Shell, PETAN, and the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in the Shell-PETAN Internship program has been instrumental in providing young Nigerian graduates with on-the-job training, thereby enhancing their employability.
He described the internship program as a “resounding success,” with several interns being retained by participating companies.
In response, Okunbor expressed gratitude to PETAN for the recognition and reaffirmed Shell’s commitment to fostering indigenous participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
“The growth of participation of indigenous companies in the oil and gas industry is a good thing. Shell companies in Nigeria retain the commitment to continue to create opportunities for Nigerian companies to participate in our business,” Okunbor said.
He cited Shell’s impact in 2023, where SPDC, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), and Shell Nigeria Gas Limited (SNG) awarded contracts worth $1.98 billion to Nigerian-registered companies, reflecting a 3% increase from the previous year. He also noted that 96% of Shell’s 2,500 direct employees were Nigerian nationals, supported by over 9,000 contractors in its operations.
Okunbor reiterated Shell’s longstanding investment in Nigeria, spanning more than 60 years, and its commitment to continue powering progress, positively impacting lives, and unlocking new opportunities.
PETAN, established in 1994, represents Nigerian indigenous technical oilfield service companies in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. The association will celebrate its 30th anniversary in December 2024.
