- Safiu Kehinde
Shell Nigeria has bid farewell to its former Country Chair, Osagie Okunbor, as he retired from active service after 39.
This was made known in statement issue by the oil company on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Shell was joined by other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including government functionaries, regulators, and chief executives of indigenous and international oil companies to honour Okunbor at the milestone ceremonies which began in Abuja on Tuesday night.
The dignitaries highlighted Okunbor’s contributions to the development of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria especially Nigerian content and playing key roles in Shell’s investments in Deep-water and Integrated Gas in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Shell Nigeria Executive Vice President, Marno de Jong, who now take on the additional responsibilities of Country Chair Nigeria, lauded Osagie for leadership qualities and counsel.
“Osagie is a respected leader in Shell and the broader industry whose wise counsel and insights have proved invaluable.
“Over a career that has lasted nearly 40 years, Okunbor has related with a wide range of stakeholders, from communities to industry leaders, with empathy and excellent relational skills. We will all miss his presence and wish him a most enjoyable retirement.” He said.
On his part, Okunbor expressed his gratitude to the company for the opportunity to serve under its global platform.
“It has been an honour of a lifetime serving my country on a global platform offered by Shell.
“The Shell values of Honesty, Integrity and Respect for people have been useful in my modest contributions.” He said.
A graduate of University of Benin in Business Administration, Okunbor joined Shell in 1986 and has served in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brunei and the Netherlands.
He became Managing Director of the defunct Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria in 2015.
His previous roles include Vice President, Infrastructure and Logistics in Nigeria, Vice President Human Resources, Sub-Saharan Africa and Senior Advisor, Upstream International Operated Business.
Okunbor has also been a key player in the Nigerian energy industry, serving as two-term Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Industry.
He received the H.E. Dr Alirio Parra Lifetime Achievement Award in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry in 2022, among several other honours.