Shell Nigeria is honouring Osagie Okunbor as he retires this month after 39 years with the company.
Mr Okunbor, who served as country chair since 2015, is being celebrated for his contributions to the oil and gas industry.
Stakeholders, including government officials, regulators, and executives from local and international oil companies, gathered in Abuja on Tuesday to begin a series of ceremonies in his honour.
Okunbor’s work in developing Nigerian content and driving Shell’s investments in deep water and integrated gas projects has been widely praised.
Marno de Jong, executive vice president for Shell Nigeria, will take on the additional role of country chair.
“Osagie is a respected leader in Shell and the broader industry whose wise counsel and insights have proved invaluable,” Mr de Jong said. “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.”
Reflecting on his career, Okunbor said, “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.”
A graduate of the University of Benin in business administration, Okunbor joined Shell in 1986. His career took him to Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brunei, and the Netherlands. His leadership roles included vice president of infrastructure and logistics in Nigeria and vice president of human resources for sub-Saharan Africa.
Okunbor also served as a two-term chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section of the Lagos Chamber of Industry. In 2022, he received the H.E. Dr Alirio Parra Lifetime Achievement Award for his impact on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
