Women in Oil and Gas

Photo Credit: VDM Metals

EXECUTIVE AGENDA

Women in Oil and Gas

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Uju Ifejika Uju Ifejika is the CEO of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited (BUNL) and Brittania-U Ghana (BUGL) which are both affiliates of the Brittania-U Group- an indigenous and integrated Oil & Gas Company. She is one of the richest women in Africa and also one of the most influential women in the oil and gas sector of the world.

Uju Ifejika started her steady rise to prominence with working for Texaco and

eventually Chevron. She worked her way up the ranks at a steady but determined pace, she started at the position of Junior Counsel, and went on to become Acting Chief Counsel and eventually became the Company Secretary for Public and Government Affairs. By 2003 she had risen to the position of Company Secretary for Public and Government Affairs for West Africa.

She became the CEO of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited in 2007. Brittania-U Nigeria Limited is the Nigerian based affiliate of the Brittania-U Group. The company’s operations cover the entire range from oil exploration to production, refining, trading, supply & distribution. Hence the company is actively involved in Upstream (Exploration & Production), Downstream (Supply & Trading), Shipping and Sub-Surface Engineering Affiliate Companies.

She also founded other companies which includes - Data Appraisal Co. Ltd, Nexttee Oil & Gas Trading Co. Nigeria Ltd and Brittania-U Ghana Limited.

EXECUTIVE AGENDA

Olajumoke Ajayi

Olajumoke Ajayi is the Managing Director of Asharami Energy Ltd (the upstream company of Sahara Group). Olajumoke Ajayi holds a Master of Science degree in Applied Geophysics obtained from the University of Lagos; and a Bachelor of Technology in Applied Geophysics from the Federal University of Technology Akure.

Her steps in the Oil & Gas Industry commenced in Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, where she was privileged to undergo tutelage under renowned and experienced professionals who were masters of their own fields and who spared nothing whilst providing guidance in her cultivation of resilience and excellence – a pre-requisite to achieving mastery in the Oil & Gas business – indeed in any life endeavor.

Olajumoke in her years of experience in the oil and gas industry has led various asset evaluation teams. She has worked extensively as seismic interpreter, supervised 3D Seismic acquisition & processing, and has been responsible for 2D/3D evaluation and portfolio management. She has successfully planned and drilled a number of wells in the course of her career.

After the brief stint with Mobil Producing Un-limited, She took up an appointment

with Degeconek Nigeria Limited, an oil & gas service company. Her period in the organization was very eventful as availed her opportunities to work extensively with several oil producing and service companies, all of which were clients to whom she was seconded at different times on varied assignments, both within and outside Nigeria. So abundant was the exposure that she evaluated 22 out of the 24 marginal oil fields during the 2003 marginal fields bid round and 6 blocks out of the 2005 bid round. The extensive and intensive demand of her assignments made her acquire skills in various areas in the industry.

Following the above in sequence were spates in two other E&P Companies before her current place of sojourn.

Olajumoke’s experience in ‘Centrica Resources’ (British Gas), though similar to what obtained in previous engagements further presented exciting adventures. It provided exposure to seismic acquisition and processing supervision. Being a British company with Head Office in the UK, her assignments facilitated wide international travels across board.

About 6 years ago, carried on the wings of job mobility, Olajumoke joined the services of Sahara Energy Fields Ltd. (SEFL); as the Exploration Manager and subsequently became the General Manager, Exploration in a spate of a few years. She successfully designed and delivered Sahara Energy Field’s first three wells (1 exploration and 2 appraisal wells), resulting in the doubling of the company’s reserves.

She is the 1st female NAPE Vice President of the association in its 40 years of existence.

Prior to this, she had served as the NAPE Financial Secretary from year 2012 to 2014.

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EXECUTIVE AGENDA

Folorunsho Alakija Folorunsho Alakija is vice chair of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian oil exploration company with stake in Agbami Oilfield, a prolific offshore asset. Famfa Oil’s partners include Chevron and Petrobras.

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Folorunsho started her career in 1974 as an executive secretary at Sijuade Enterprises,

Photo Credit: VDM Metals

Lagos, Nigeria. She moved on to the former First National Bank of Chicago, which became FinBank acquired by FCMB (First City Monument Bank) where she worked for some years before establishing a tailoring company called Supreme Stitches. It rose to prominence and fame within a few years, and as Rose of Sharon House of Fashion, became a household name. As national president and lifelong trustee of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), she left an indelible mark, promoting Nigerian culture through fashion and style.

In May 1993, Folorunsho applied for the allocation of an oil prospecting license (OPL).

The license to explore for oil on a 617,000acre block—now referred to as OPL 216—was granted to Alakija’s company, Famfa Limited.

The block is located approximately 220 miles south east of Lagos and 70 miles offshore of Nigeria in the Agbami Field of the central Niger Delta.

EXECUTIVE AGENDA

Ronke Onadeko

Ronke Onadeko is the Principal Consultant of DRNL Consult Limited, UK and Delt-R Company Limited, Nigeria. She is a seasoned businesswoman with over 23 years experience in the oil and gas operations, trading and marketing and management.

She has complimentary skills in relationship building, strategy, business development and networking. She has served as Country Director and In-country Representative for BNP Paribas in Nigeria. She advised BNP Paribas and represented the bank’s entire service offering, specifically Corporate &

Investment Banking, Asset Management and Wealth Management. Onadeko also acts as an Independent Consultant to Facility for Oil Sector Transparency and Accountability (“FOSTER”) in Nigeria, an initiative of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), and as an Agent for international clients in the energy, power and oil and gas and telecommunication sectors.

She has been a Director of RAK Unity Petroleum PLC since October 15, 2016. She is a Fellow of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Program and has received numerous awards for her contribution to entrepreneurship and business development. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Resource Development from the University of Rhode Island, USA and her MBA from Durham University’s Business School in the United Kingdom and the China-Europe International Business School, Shanghai (CEIBS), China. She is an alumna of the Lagos Business School (the Pan African University) and obtained post graduate training at Oxford University’s College of Petroleum and Energy Studies.

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