Osagie Okunbor: Stakeholders Laud Contributions of Industry Icon at Farewell Events

Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, who retires at the end of this month, has been widely commended for his remarkable contributions to the oil and gas industry. Tributes poured in during a series of farewell events, recognizing his leadership in expanding Nigerian content and driving impactful social investments across the Niger Delta and beyond.

With a distinguished career spanning over 39 years, Okunbor was celebrated for his dedication to Shell’s mission of powering progress in Nigeria. Throughout his tenure, he held management or board-level roles in several Shell companies, including:

• The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. (SPDC)

• Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd. (SNEPCo)

• Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG)

• Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator

• All On

• Daystar Power

He was also pivotal in the acquisition of SPDC by Renaissance, a transaction hailed as a milestone in empowering Nigerian companies.

“We celebrate a legacy of momentum by someone who enjoyed widespread respect in the industry, communities, and government,”
— Marno de Jong, Executive Vice President, Shell Nigeria

Speaking at a send-forth event in Lagos on Wednesday night, following a similar ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday (June 24), Marno de Jong described Osagie’s career as “an inspiring journey” and wished him a fruitful retirement.

Peter Costello, President of Shell Upstream and former Vice President, Nigeria and Gabon, flew in from Australia to honour Okunbor. He praised Osagie for his “calm and collected crisis management, courageous leadership, and authenticity.”

Also present was Bayo Ojulari, Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), who stated:

“We want you to bring the same visionary leadership, resilience, and strategic thinking to the industry so Nigeria can benefit more from this wealth of experience.”

In his response, Okunbor reflected on his career:

“Thirty-nine years is not a short time, and I’m grateful to God for the grace to go through this period. I’m also grateful to everyone—friends and colleagues within and outside the country—and mentors who helped me forge a long career in Shell. My wife has been a pillar in my journey, and I’m extremely grateful for her support and that of the rest of the family.”

Earlier on Wednesday (June 25), the management of All On hosted a luncheon in Okunbor’s honour. Caroline Eboumbou, CEO of All On, thanked him for his unwavering support as the organisation’s pioneer chairman since its inception in 2016. She highlighted his role in helping All On fulfil its mission:

“To increase access to commercial energy products and services for underserved and unserved off-grid energy markets in Nigeria, with a special focus on the Niger Delta.”

Among its many achievements under his guidance, All On has enabled over 200,000 off-grid energy connections, positively impacting more than 1 million lives across Nigeria.