Seplat Energy has announced the appointment of Tony Elumelu as chairman of its board from January 1, 2027.
The company also appointed Effiong Okon as chief executive officer with effect from August 1, as part of a leadership transition announced in a notice filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).
Mr Elumelu will succeed Udo Udoma, who is due to retire from the board on December 31.
According to Seplat Energy, Elumelu joined the board in January following Heirs Energies’ acquisition of a 20.07 percent stake in the company.
The acquisition made Heirs Energies the largest shareholder in Seplat Energy.
Tony Elumelu is the founder and chairman of Heirs Holdings, which has interests in energy, power, banking, insurance, technology, real estate, hospitality and healthcare.
He also chairs United Bank for Africa and Transcorp Group.
Before entering business, Elumelu worked in the banking sector. He later founded Heirs Holdings and launched several businesses, including Heirs Energies.
He is also a founding director of the Africa Gold Council and serves as vice president of the Nigeria Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is a board member of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund.
The incoming CEO Okon will take over from Roger Brown, who retires on July 31.
Okon joined Seplat Energy in 2018 as operations director and later became director of new energy. Most recently, he served as managing director of the ANOH Gas Processing Company, where he oversaw project execution and the commencement of gas production in January 2026.
Speaking on his appointment, Elumelu said he looked forward to leading the board through the company’s next phase of growth and thanked Udoma and Brown for their service.
Okon said his immediate focus would be implementing Seplat Energy’s 2030 roadmap and developing long-term plans for the company’s operations.
