See 10 powerful women in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector

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The oil and gas sector in Nigeria is characterized by complex operational, regulatory, and market challenges. Managing exploration, production, and distribution in such an environment requires significant technical expertise, strategic oversight, and the ability to navigate both local and international business dynamics.

Over the past few decades, an increasing number of women have assumed leadership roles in the industry, occupying positions that were historically dominated by men.

Forty to fifty years ago, female representation in executive management, boardrooms, and operational leadership was minimal; today, women are actively shaping the sector’s development and growth.

Women in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry now lead indigenous and multinational companies, manage upstream and downstream operations, and influence policy and investment decisions.

They combine professional expertise, governance experience, and strategic vision, contributing to operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and sustainable business practices. Many are also involved in initiatives that promote local content development, entrepreneurship, and workforce capacity building, reflecting a broader impact beyond corporate performance.

This feature profiles 10 women who have achieved notable success and influence across the Nigerian oil and gas sector. From founders and managing directors to board chairs and senior executives, their contributions span exploration, production, distribution, finance, and governance.

Their professional achievements demonstrate both the scale and scope of women’s involvement in the industry, providing insight into the evolving dynamics of Nigeria’s energy sector.

Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka- Executive Director of Financial Strategy at Sahara Group

Moroti Adedoyin-Adeyinka is an executive leader in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, currently serving as Executive Director of Financial Strategy at Sahara Group. With over two decades of experience in energy and finance, she has played a central role in the growth and operational expansion of Sahara Group’s downstream and upstream businesses, both in Nigeria and across Africa.

Adedoyin-Adeyinka began her career in the energy sector with roles that combined operational management and financial oversight. She has held leadership positions at Sahara Energy Resource Ltd and Asharami Synergy, where she managed large-scale projects, optimized financial performance, and drove strategic initiatives across procurement, distribution, and resource management.

Her expertise spans product procurement, bulk sales, distribution, and the oversight of storage terminals with a combined capacity exceeding 300 million liters across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

A Harvard Business School alumna and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Adedoyin-Adeyinka is recognized for her commitment to operational excellence, corporate governance, and strategic growth. She advocates for intrapreneurship and innovation within organizations, emphasizing employee-driven value creation, and has been a speaker on leadership and sustainable business practices in the energy sector.

Victoria Samson: Group MD BOVAS 

Dr. Victoria A. Samson is a veteran marketing and oil industry executive with over four decades of experience in Nigeria’s petroleum sector. She currently serves as Group Managing Director, overseeing corporate strategy, operations, and business development, while ensuring compliance with regulatory, environmental, and safety standards.

Samson’s career includes strategic roles with leading multinational companies such as Texaco Nigeria Plc (Chevron) and Mobil Plc (ExxonMobil), where she delivered sustained commercial performance and demonstrated an in-depth understanding of market dynamics.

In 1990, she became the first Nigerian to receive the prestigious Texaco Latin America West Africa (LAWA) Award for Best Overall Dealer, a recognition of her leadership, operational excellence, and commercial acumen in the downstream petroleum sector.

In her current role, Samson oversees long-term business strategy, large-scale operational projects, and stakeholder engagement, including interactions with government, investors, and industry partners. She is Matron of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at both the NNPC/PPMC Satellite Depot in Ejigbo, Lagos, and the Apata Depot in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo: Deputy MD Falcon Corporation

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo is a veteran Nigerian energy executive and entrepreneur, widely recognized for her leadership in the midstream and downstream gas sector. She co-founded Falcon Corporation in 1994, where she serves as Deputy Managing Director and Shareholder, and also leads Optimera Energy LFZE as Managing Director, focusing on gas and energy optimization across Nigeria.

Joe-Ezigbo has over 30 years of experience spanning strategic planning, corporate governance, investor relations, entrepreneurship development, and environmental sustainability across private, public, and non-profit sectors.

She has been instrumental in transforming Falcon Corporation from a minor oil services contractor into a leading licensed distributor of Natural Gas and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) with multi-billion-naira annual revenues.

She holds multiple master’s degrees in Finance, Marketing, and Business Administration from Lagos Business School, University of Nigeria, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, alongside executive certifications from Harvard Business School, IE Business School, NYU Stern, and the WIMBOARD Institute.

Joe-Ezigbo is a recognized leader in Nigeria’s gas sector. She served as President of the Nigerian Gas Association from 2018 to 2021, the first woman to hold the position in the Association’s history, and currently chairs the advisory boards of NGA and the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN).

She is also a Fellow of the Energy Institute UK, Vice Chair of the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria’s Energy & Power Committee, and a founding member of the Women in Energy Network (WiEN).

Godfrey Ogbechie: Group Executive Director Rainoil 

Godrey Ogbechie is a seasoned Nigerian executive with extensive experience in banking and the oil and gas industry. She currently serves as Group Executive Director at Rainoil Limited, where she oversees Corporate Support Services including Human Resources, IT, Brand and Corporate Communications, Administration, and Facilities Management and acts as deputy to the Group Managing Director when required.

Ogbechie earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension from University of Calabar in 1988 and holds a Master’s in Business Administration.

She spent 19 years in the Nigerian banking sector, working with Universal Trust Bank Limited and Fidelity Bank Plc, gaining expertise in Operations, Customer Service, Audit, and Human Resource Management. As Head of HR at Fidelity, she was a key member of the Fidelity, FSB, and Manny Bank merger team.

Ogbechie joined Rainoil Limited in 2009 as an Executive Director and has been instrumental in expanding the company’s asset base, which now includes over 80 service stations nationwide, multi-product depots with 50 million-litre capacity in Oghara, Calabar, and Ijegun, an 8,000-metric-tonne LPG storage facility, a fleet of over 100 tank trucks, and a shipping vessel for distribution.

Amy Jadesimi: MD Lagos Deep Offshore 

Amy Jadesimi is a Nigerian entrepreneur and energy sector leader, widely recognized for her work in advancing indigenous oil and gas services.

She is Managing Director of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), Nigeria’s only 100% locally owned offshore fabrication and multi-logistics services hub, where she has driven industrial growth, job creation, and the development of the country as a regional maritime and energy logistics centre.

Jadesimi is the daughter of Oladipo Jadesimi, LADOL’s executive chairman, and Alero Okotie-Eboh. She studied at University of Oxford, earning a BA in Physiological Sciences and a medical degree (BMBCh), before obtaining an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Her career began in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in London, where she focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. While at Stanford, she completed an internship with Brait Private Equity in Johannesburg. After business school, she founded a financial consultancy in Nigeria before joining LADOL, first as Deputy CEO and CFO, and later as Managing Director in 2009.

Jadesimi also serves as a commissioner of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission and has received international recognition including the Rising Talent Award from the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society and the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader Award.

 Uju Ifejika: Chairperson, Brittania U Nigeria/Ghana 

Catherine Uju Ifejika is a Nigerian lawyer and oil executive who chairs Brittania-U Nigeria Limited and Brittania-U Ghana Limited, indigenous energy companies focused on upstream exploration and production. Through Brittania-U, she has built a reputation as one of the most influential female leaders in the African oil and gas sector.

Ifejika studied law at Ahmadu Bello University, earning a Diploma in Law and an LL.B (Hons.) in 1985 before being called to the bar in 1986. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria, and a Fellow of the Institute of Arbitration and Conciliation.

• Her career in energy began at Texaco, where she joined as Junior Counsel in 1987 and later worked with Chevron in a series of legal and corporate affairs roles. By the early 2000s she was responsible for public and government affairs across West Africa, overseeing regulatory and corporate engagement in several regional markets.
• Ifejika became chair and chief executive of Brittania-U Nigeria in 2007, taking over leadership of a company incorporated in 1995 but activated in the early 2000s. Under her leadership, the company acquired stakes in marginal oil assets including the Ajapa field, part of Nigeria’s programme to encourage indigenous participation in upstream oil production.

She has also founded companies including Data Appraisal Co. Ltd. and Nexttee Oil & Gas Trading Co. Nigeria Ltd., expanding her footprint in energy services and trading. Ifejika has received several industry recognitions, including the African Businesswoman Award in 2013 from the US-based organisation Black Pumps.

Folorunsho Alakija: Vice Chair Famfa Oil 

Folorunso Alakija is one of Nigeria’s most prominent entrepreneurs, with business interests spanning fashion, oil and gas, and philanthropy. She serves as Group Managing Director of the Rose of Sharon Group and Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil Limited, an indigenous oil exploration company with significant offshore assets in Nigeria.

As the daughter of  Chief L.A. Ogbara, Alakija spent part of her early education in the United Kingdom. She attended Muslim High School in Shagamu before returning to London for secretarial studies at Pitman Central College.

She began her professional career in 1974 as an executive secretary and later worked with the First National Bank of Chicago and the International Merchant Bank of Nigeria, where she held roles in corporate affairs and treasury operations.

Alakija later transitioned into fashion, studying design at the American College London and the Central School of Fashion in London. She subsequently founded Supreme Stitches, a fashion label later rebranded as the Rose of Sharon House of Fashion, which became a prominent name in Nigeria’s fashion industry.

Her entry into the oil sector came in 1993 when Famfa Oil Limited secured an oil prospecting license for a 617,000-acre offshore block in the Agbami field. The company later entered a joint venture with Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, a subsidiary of Chevron, transferring a 40% stake in the block. The discovery of oil at the Agbami field transformed Famfa into one of Nigeria’s most successful indigenous oil companies.

Beyond business, Alakija is recognized for philanthropy and leadership in entrepreneurship. Forbes has listed her among the world’s most powerful women and she has been ranked among the richest women in Africa.

Daisy Danjuma: Chairperson, South Atlantic Petroleum  

Daisy Danjuma is a Nigerian lawyer, business executive and former legislator who serves as Executive Chairman of South Atlantic Petroleum (SAPETRO), an indigenous oil exploration and production company with operations across Africa.

Danjuma holds a law degree from Ahmadu Bello University and is an alumna of Lagos Business School. She began her career as a State Counsel at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice in the Department of Public Prosecutions and later became a pioneer Legal Counsel at the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

She subsequently worked at Nigerian Acceptances Limited (NAL), an investment banking institution, before spending about a decade as Company Secretary and Legal Adviser at the Nigerian Television Authority.

In 2003, she was elected Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where she chaired the ECOWAS Parliament Women and Children’s Rights Committee and served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs and Youth Development. After leaving public office, she joined SAPETRO as Executive Vice Chairman and was appointed Executive Chairman in December 2023.

Founded as an African-focused exploration and production company, SAPETRO is involved in the development of oil and gas assets across the continent. In Nigeria, the company holds interests in deep-water blocks including OML 130 and OPL 246, where the Akpo field reached peak production of more than 180,000 barrels per day.

The adjacent Egina field also contributes significant offshore output through a floating production storage and offloading vessel with a storage capacity of about 2.3 million barrels.

Beyond Nigeria, SAPETRO operates assets in West Africa, including a 100% operating interest in the Sèmè oilfield offshore the Republic of Benin, a mature field with decades of production history.

Danjuma also serves as Chairman of May & Baker Nigeria Plc and holds leadership roles in several nonprofit organizations, including the H I D Awolowo Foundation and the Women at Risk International Foundation. She is a member of the International Bar Association, the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Federation of Women Lawyers.

Hajia Bola Shagaya: Group CEO Bolmus Group

Hajia Bola Shagaya, MON, is a Nigerian business magnate known for her extensive investments across several sectors of the Nigerian economy. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bolmus Group International, a diversified conglomerate with interests in oil and gas, real estate, banking, and photography. Widely regarded as one of the wealthiest women in Africa, Shagaya has built a reputation as a prominent entrepreneur and investor.

She attended Queens School, Ilorin, before pursuing higher education at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and Armstrong College in California, where she studied economics and accountancy.

Shagaya began her professional career in the audit department of the Central Bank of Nigeria before venturing into private business in 1983. She initially focused on the importation and distribution of photographic materials, introducing the Konica brand into the Nigerian and West African markets.

She later expanded into the oil and gas sector and currently serves as Managing Director of PractoIL Limited. Incorporated in March 1997, the company has grown within a relatively short period to become a major player in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, helping to meet the country’s evolving energy needs through the importation and distribution of base oil to lubricant blending plants.

Beyond entrepreneurship, Shagaya has served on the board of Unity Bank Plc and is a patron of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria. In 2010, she was honoured with the national award of Member of the Order of the Niger by Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Dame Winifred Akpani 

Winifred Akpani, OFR, is a Nigerian entrepreneur and business leader widely recognized for her contributions to the country’s oil and gas industry. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, an indigenous petroleum products marketing and trading company that has grown to become a notable player in Nigeria’s downstream energy sector.

Akpani holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Benin and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Lagos. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, reflecting her professional background in finance and corporate governance.

She began her career in 1987 as a trainee accountant at Ernst & Young before moving to KPMG, where she qualified as a chartered accountant. In 1992, she joined Flame Petroleum & Gas Company Limited as Financial Controller and later rose to Executive Director.

In 1998, Akpani established Northwest Petroleum with an initial capital of ₦200,000, beginning with the distribution of diesel in 200-litre drums to homes, banks, and small businesses in Lagos. The company has since expanded into large-scale diesel and LPG supply, international oil trading, and investments across Nigeria’s energy value chain.

In 2019, she was elected Chairman of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).