–By Danlami Nasir Isah
Abdulrazaq Isa is the Chairman/CEO of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, an indigenous upstream oil and gas company incorporated in 1996 to carry out the business of exploration and production of oil and gas resources. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, manager and astute international businessman with over 30 years of experience in the Financial Services and Oil & Gas industry.
He has experience in strategy, enterprise transformation, asset development, business incubation and integration, start-up advisory and project management. He has participated in several international negotiations for asset acquisition and joint venture project financing in the Oil and Gas industry.
Born on February 7, 1961 in Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, Nigeria, Mr. Abdulrazaq is a graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1979 – 1982), where he obtained BSc (Hons) Sociology. In his quest for personal capacity development, he attended several professional programs in banking and oil and gas at Citibank Global Training School, New York, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in University of Singapore and Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.
Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa started his career as a banker with the defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce International which became African International Bank (AIB) in 1984 as a Graduate Trainee and subsequently Internal Control Officer. He later moved to the then Chartered Bank Nig. Ltd. now Stanbic/IBTC where he rose to the position of Area Manager. In 1993, Mr. Abdulrazaq became the Pioneer Executive Director, Safetrust Savings & Loans Limited, a Mortgage Financial Institution based in Lagos. In 1997, he became the Chairman/CEO of Waltersmith & Associates Nigeria Limited, a portfolio and investment management company. In 1998, he transited from banking and finance to oil and gas industry as he was appointed the Vice Chairman of Pipeline Integrity Nigeria Limited, an oil service company based in Lagos. In 2004, Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa became the Executive Chairman of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited an Oil & Gas Exploration and Production Company.
Mr. Abdulrazaq is a member of several professional bodies and associations which includes the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Energy Institute (EI) and the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce. He is also an active member of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) and the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS).
Abdulrazaq has served on the Board of companies in both the public and private sectors among which are: Chairman, Leeisa Inc., USA (Export and Investment Company); Chairman Katchey Company; Director, Oil & Gas Technologies Ltd., Calgary, Canada; Director, J. H. Holdings, Ilupeju, Lagos; Board member, National Inland Waterways Authority; Director, ThirdWave Networks Holdings, LLC and Director, Arewa Metal Containers (ARMECO), Kaduna, Nigeria Cocoa Research Center, Ibadan.
He is the founder and sponsor of the Alhaji Isa Kutepa Foundation, a philanthropic organization which worked with UNICEF in Kogi State to provide portable drinking water in different parts of the State. He is happily married with children.