Board Leadership (Advisory)
Dr. Layi Fatona
Chairman
Dr. Layi Fatona
Chairman
Dr. Layi Fatona is a renowned geologist, entrepreneur, and industry thought leader whose five-decade career across exploration, production, and corporate leadership has shaped Nigeria's oil and gas sector. He pioneered indigenous energy participation as the founder and managing director of Aradel Holdings Plc (“Aradel”), a $1B market capitalisation company, and co-founder of NDWestern.
Dr. Fatona led Aradel's transformation from marginal fields to an integrated energy powerhouse, and now chairs Renaissance Africa Energy Company (“RAEC”), succeeding Shell Petroleum Development Company (“SPDC”).
Today, as Chairman of RAEC, he presides over one of the most significant transformations in Nigeria’s energy industry: the landmark acquisition of SPDC’s onshore oil and gas assets. Under his stewardship, RAEC has already scaled production to over 200,000 barrels of oil per day, positioning the company as a standard-bearer for indigenous capacity in global energy markets.
At Aradel, he pioneered several industry “firsts.” He broke industry barriers by developing Nigeria’s first producing marginal oil field in 2005, setting a precedent for indigenous operatorship. He championed gas monetisation at a time when gas was routinely flared, commissioning the nation’s first gas-scrubbing plant and eliminating routine flaring years ahead of regulation, and spearheading the establishment of the country’s first licensed mini-refinery at Ogbele, a benchmark in vertical integration that allowed upstream producers to move into refining.
A Fellow of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) and a certified Petroleum Geologist with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Dr. Fatona has held roles as Executive Vice Chairman of ND Western, President of NAPE, and Chairman of Geotrex Systems.
Respected both within Nigeria and abroad, his contributions to the industry have been recognised with numerous awards, decorated with multiple honours, including the Aret Adams Award for Technical Excellence(2010), the NMGS/DPR Chief M.O. Feyide Award (2012), and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nigeria International Energy Summit in 2024. With unshakable commitment, technical authority, and visionary leadership, Dr. Fatona stands as a pillar of Africa’s energy story.
More than an industry executive, Dr. Fatona is a mentor, institution-builder, and advocate of indigenous leadership in Africa’s oil and gas sector. His career has bridged state-owned enterprise, independent operators, and entrepreneurial ventures. His name has become synonymous with integrity, vision, and resilience in one of the world’s most complex industries.
Dr. Fatona earned his B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Ibadan in 1973, followed by an M.Sc. (1976) and Ph.D. (1980) in Petroleum Geology and Sedimentology from Imperial College’s Royal School of Mines, University of London, becoming one of the earliest Nigerians to achieve such distinction.
Bob Davenport
Vice Chairman
Bob Davenport
Vice Chairman
Bob founded a consultancy, Bluemont Advisors LLC, to source and evaluate global oil & gas acquisitions on behalf of investors and small operators. He has over 40 years’ experience in multinational environments, having lived and worked in nine countries with executive P&L roles on three continents. During his career, Bob built a strong reputation for improving the bottom-line through higher production and lower costs, particularly at mature oil & gas fields.
As Managing Director, Bob had P&L accountability for EnQuest PLC's flagship North Sea business unit. There, he completed a strategic portfolio review and organization transformation, doubling oil and gas production to 57 KBOEPD and reducing unit OPEX by 50%. The Sullom Voe Terminal, acquired in 2017, was reimagined and realigned to extend life 30 years, leveraging Bob’s ability to align diverse stakeholders. And he built a new capability in offshore decommissioning as four legacy assets progressed towards cessation of production.
In collaboration with National Oil Company partners, Bob led successful ventures in Asia and MENA. In Malaysia, alongside PETRONAS, he developed a new growth strategy, increasing production and reducing OPEX for EnQuest’s first international venture. As Managing Director at Apache, Bob led the company’s prized Khalda business unit in Egypt, with P&L accountability for $1.8 billion EBITDA and 280 KBOEPD production. There, alongside partner EGPC, he re-focused investment for record production levels and negotiated agreements unlocking 150 million barrels of new oil reserves. Demonstrating calm under fire, Bob implemented a new strategy at the Qarun JV to triple EBITDA to $630 million right through the Egyptian Arab Spring.
As Chief Development Officer, Bob created and led a new organization delivering 1 BBOE new resources from a diverse portfolio of development projects across India. And earlier, he increased profits with targeted business improvements in Indonesia, Kuwait, Pakistan and the United States as an operational manager and petroleum engineer with global energy companies.
Bob served as Executive Board Member at Egyptian JVs Khalda Petroleum and Qarun Petroleum. He has a BS in Mineral (Petroleum) Engineering from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Florida International University. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Ibim Diri
Managing Director/CEO
Ibim Diri
Managing Director/CEO
Ibim is a talented energy professional multifaceted in several areas including strategy, change management, management, leadership and project development and execution. He has over a decade and a half industry experience having worked on projects both onshore and offshore within the energy sector. He has developed profound technical, commercial and leadership capabilities whilst leading several teams within and outside of work.
To date, Ibim has worked on Major Capex Projects for the largest London-listed independent oil and gas company with a leading position in the United Kingdom, national oil company, multinational operating and service oil companies respectively (Harbour Energy UK, GOIL, Total Energies and PGS).
Ibim’s commitment to personal growth reflects in his executive certifications from Yale School of Management, The Said Business School, University of Oxford, and Harvard Business School. Ibim sits on different boards including the executive board of Design Week Lagos where he creates innovative solutions for stakeholder engagements. As the pioneer mentoring lead for AFBE-UK Scotland, he helped set up the first formal mentoring program which is now well subscribed. He also led AFBE-UK Transition team, in which he was involved in leading a team of engineers and C-suite leaders from different multinationals in organizing career events around the UK. These earned him the 2021 AFBE-UK Member of the Year Award.
He holds an MSc in Integrated Petroleum Geoscience from the University of Aberdeen. He is a recipient of the University of Aberdeen and Principal’s Excellence Awards, TotalEnergies and Shell Scholar, finalist of the 2023 Great British Businesswoman Series Excellence Awards.
Outside of work, he is passionate about giving back to the community, coaching and mentoring young students in discovering their purpose in life. He is the pioneer mentoring committee Chair for the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).
Mr. Osten Olorunsola
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Osten Olorunsola
Advisory Board Member
With over four decades of experience-based knowledge, skills, and expertise in petroleum resource management, notably in policy formulation, implementation, crafting legislation, regulation of opportunity realisation, field development, and commercial operations. Osten served various companies and agencies of government in Nigeria, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States of America.
Specifically in oil and gas, Osten is uniquely hands-on across the three main domains of the industry - Policy (as Adviser to Petroleum Ministers in Nigeria), Regulatory (as Director of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria), as well as Commercial Operations (with combined 3+decades in various roles in Agip-ENI and Shell International).
After 10 years in petroleum geoscience roles in Agip-ENI, he spent 22 years with Shell International in leading positions in corporate planning and economics. He was the Petroleum Engineering Manager for the first major deep offshore development in Nigeria, and has experience with technology deployment in Russia, and hydrocarbon resources management for Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA).
He retired from Shell International as Vice President of Commercial Gas Business for SSA thereafter serving as Adviser to two Ministers of Petroleum Resources, later as Director of Petroleum Resources, and subsequently as the Technical Team Lead for shaping and crafting of the Nigeria Petroleum Industry Bill which eventually became law (PIA) in August 2021 following accent by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.
Osten is the Chairman of Aradel Holdings Plc, he is a Fellow and Country Chairman of the Energy Institute, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Energetikos Limited, and holds several non-executive board positions.
Osten graduated with a B.Sc (Hons) degree in Geology from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, in Nigeria. He acquired leadership learning events at the prestigious IMD in Lausanne, Columbia University in New York and the Oxford University in England, in addition to several other professional learning opportunities spanning 4 decades.
Mr. Chikezie Nwosu
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Chikezie Nwosu
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Chikezie Nwosu is an experienced senior executive with over 34 years local and international experience in the energy industry with demonstrated expertise in the management of upstream oil & gas projects, new business development, divestments and acquisitions, midstream gas, downstream refining, and renewable energy strategies. Mr. Nwosu has worked with leading international oil and gas services and E&P companies including Western Atlas (now Baker Atlas) for over 5 years, Regional Discipline Manager, Shell Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa and International (16 years), Deputy Managing Director (Technical), SINOPEC-Addax Petroleum Nigeria (over 6 years), EVP Business Development, Tolea Energy B.V. (since 2019) and, recently, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Waltersmith (4 years). He has also served on the Boards of Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited (APDNL), Addax Petroleum Exploration Nigeria Limited (APENL), Tolea B.V. The Netherlands, Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited and Waltersmith Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited.
Mr. Nwosu is a well-regarded Energy Resource development and Energy policy expert and contributed to the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as a representative of the Oil Producers Trade Section to then Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources’ Presidency team on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) in 2017 and later as a member of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group’s (IPPG) advocacy team on the PIB from 2019 to 2021. Mr. Nwosu is a regular keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator in national and international fora including the Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (later the Nigeria International Energy Summit 2019 to date), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (Resource Management Week 2021: A New Social Contract on Natural Resources), PMI Africa Conference 2022, SPE Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition, Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria Conferences, Shell International Women’s Day, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry Seminars etc.
In 2021, Mr. Nwosu was recognized as the Nigerian Oil & Gas CEO of the Year (Integrated) by the reputable BusinessDay of Nigeria and has been profiled by Forbes Africa, Africa Oil & Gas magazine, Foreign Investment Network UK, The Energy Year, The Business Year and many other Energy and Investment magazines. Mr. Nwosu retired from Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited in March 2023 after delivering the first 5,000 bopd modular refinery in Nigeria, leading the acquisition of the 100MMboe Block EG23 in Equatorial Guinea in 2020 (EGRONDA 2019 bid round), the 20MMbbl Assa marginal field in 2021 and supporting the acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Nigeria by Renaissance Africa Energy Company (a consortium with Waltersmith Petroman as a partner), thereby setting the company on its growth trajectory.
In addition, he developed the Renewable Energy and Sustainability strategies for Waltersmith culminating in the Eco Industrial & Innovation Park project with UNIDO, in support of its energy transition strategy from fossil fuels to renewable energy for industrial use. Mr. Chikezie Nwosu is the Co-Founder and currently Group Chief Executive Officer of HSI Energies Limited, whose subsidiary, HSI Refining & Petrochemical Limited, is building the 10,000bopd Abia State Refinery in Owaza, Abia State. In addition, another subsidiary, HSI E&P limited, has partnered with EASTLAKE E&P to jointly develop the over 100MMbbls Baracuda Field in OML-141, under a Technical & Financial Services Agreement with the Joint Interest Parties (Emerald Energy Resources Limited, AMNI and Bluewater) and has recently signed a Risk Service Agreement to develop a 115MMboe oil and gas asset, where it holds a 20% Participating Interest.
He holds a 1983 B.Sc in Engineering Physics from the University of Ife (First Class Honors), a 1986 M.Sc (with Distinction) in Physics (Theoretical Nuclear Physics) from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and is a member of several professional organizations including the Society of Petroleum Engineers (2017/2018 SPE Nigeria Council Chairman), member SPE Nigeria Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board of SISL (SPENC Integrated Services Limited), member Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Board Advisory Committee of Heirs Energies Nigeria Limited, Independent Advisory Services to Emerald Energy Resources Limited and the Board of the Technology Solutions Services company MudoZangl Limited.
Mr. Kyari Bukar
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Kyari Bukar
Advisory Board Member
Kyari Abba Bukar is a seasoned technology and business professional with over three decades of experience, starting his career in Silicon Valley and including banking, fintech, and the capital markets.
Kyari A. Bukar was the MD/CEO, Africa Operations of Inlaks Computers Ltd., one of the leading Information technology Companies in Africa. He has since January 2024, remained as a non-executive director of Inlaks Ltd.
Kyari is also the Co-Founder of Trans Sahara Investment Corporation, a Private Equity Firm based in Lagos, Nigeria. He was the MD/CEO of Central Securities Clearing System Plc, the Central Securities Depository of the Nigerian Capital markets. Prior to joining CSCS, Kyari was the MD/CEO at ValuCard Nigeria Plc (now Unified Payments Limited). He transformed an organization that was erstwhile unprofitable into an efficient, resourceful, more cohesive and customer-centric institution that quickly became extremely profitable. He was instrumental in introducing Visa Cards to the Nigerian payments ecosystem. He was in FSB International Bank Plc (Fidelity Bank Plc), where he served as Executive Director, Electronic Banking, Information Technology and Operations.
Prior to his return to Nigeria in 2001, Kyari worked at Hewlett-Packard Company in Silicon Valley, where he was a member of the Senior Management Team leading a part of a $5 billion business unit. He was responsible for creating and implementing IT initiatives as well as managing marketing programs, some of which saved the company $85 million dollars in annual costs. His role in HP cut across various functions.
Kyari is the former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He is Chairman of the Ernest Shonekan Centre for Legislative Reform and economic development. He is Chairman of SUNU Assurances Plc, Chairman ARCA Payments Ltd., Independent non-executive Director CRC Credit Bureau, Standard Chartered Nigeria Ltd, and Development Bank of Nigeria respectively.
Kyari holds an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State University and a B.Sc. in Physics from the Ahmadu Bello University. He is an avid reader and enjoys mentoring and coaching aspiring professionals. Kyari is married with children.
Mrs Alero Onosode
Advisory Board Member
Mrs Alero Onosode
Advisory Board Member
Alero Onosode is a seasoned Business leader with over 30 years global experience in Business Management, Leadership, and Human Capital Development in publicly listed entities and at multinational and emerging growth organizations in the oil and gas sector. She has significant experiences working with Boards and Management teams and supports business leaders to articulate people and organizational capability as an integrated part of the strategic business thrust.
As a woman wearing many hats, she is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AAO-Tasalach limited, a consultancy firm providing services to the oil and gas industry and other industries. She is currently the chairperson of the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) Diversity Sectorial Working Group (SWG).
She is passionate about gender diversity & inclusion and positively seeks to inspire, impact, and invest in the female agenda.
Akindele Olufowoshe
Advisory Board Member
Akindele Olufowoshe
Advisory Board Member
Patricia Simon-Hart
Advisory Board Member
Patricia Simon-Hart
Advisory Board Member
Patricia Simon-Hart is an accomplished executive and Board Director with over three decades of cross-sector experience spanning the Oil & Gas, Water, Information & Communication Technology, Public Administration, and Sustainable Development sectors. Her career integrates leadership in both corporate and public service, with a particular focus on governance, strategic transformation, and diversity.
She currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of Aradel Holdings PLC, a leading integrated oil and gas company, where she provides oversight in the areas of corporate governance, risk management, audit, compliance, and ESG integration.
Patricia is also the CEO of AFTRAC Limited, an upstream oilfield services company she founded over 27 years ago. Under her leadership, AFTRAC has built a solid reputation for technical excellence in well testing, sand management, production optimization, inter-well studies, and effluent water treatment.
Her professional journey began in the Information Technology sector, with roles at INLAKS Computers and MTS, the first private telecommunications company in Nigeria, before transitioning into the oil and gas industry. In 2009, she was appointed Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development in Rivers State, where she led sector and institutional reforms, developed the State Water Sector Development Plan, and secured international funding to improve water infrastructure and services.
Patricia holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics/Computer Science from the University of Port Harcourt. She has also completed executive education in leadership and board strategy, governance and risk at globally recognized institutions including the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, London Business School, and Harvard University.
She brings to the Boardroom a strong track record in corporate governance, business strategy, energy transition, ESG frameworks, and stakeholder engagement. A passionate advocate for gender inclusion, Patricia is a co-founder of the Women in Energy Network (WIEN) and a recognized leader in promoting women’s leadership across the African energy sector.
