Shell Hosts African Young Professionals, Supports Growth of Future Energy Leaders

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo) hosted young professionals from across Africa at its Lagos offices, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing the next generation of energy industry leaders.

The 25 engineers and geologists—drawn from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, and Uganda—are participants in the Africa Young Professionals Programme and were in Lagos for the Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

They visited SNEPCo to gain insights into the operations of a company that made history in 2005 by launching Nigeria into the league of deep-water oil producers through Bonga, the nation’s first oil and gas project in water depths exceeding 1,000 metres.

Investing in the Next Generation of Energy Leaders

Receiving the visitors on behalf of Managing Director Ronald Adams, Olaposi Fadahunsi, General Manager, Emerging Projects, highlighted Shell’s various sponsorship and scholarship initiatives in partnership with the SPE.

“We encourage you to seize the opportunities available to you as you work toward your career aspirations,” Fadahunsi told the young professionals.

Sharing Knowledge and Experience

The visit featured presentations and briefings on SNEPCo’s achievements in:

• Production optimisation

• Digitalisation and automation

• Proactive reservoir management

• Field safety

• Front-end work planning and scheduling

Iyke Nnoaham, General Manager, Deepwater Oil Portfolio, also spoke on career growth and the importance of strategic decision-making for young professionals.

Participants described the sessions as “engaging and inspiring,” expressing gratitude for the knowledge shared.

Commitment to Youth Development

SNEPCo has long invested in youth talent development through initiatives such as the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), a popular programme among Nigerian undergraduates. SIWES provides six-month internships that equip students with practical knowledge, industry skills, and valuable professional networks.

Currently, 28 interns from 17 universities are undergoing training in various operational units within the company.