By Danlami Nasir Isah
Osagie Okunbor is a Nigerian businessman and executive, currently serving as Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, and the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Social Responsibility Forum (NOGISRF) Chairman.
Before assuming his current role, he was Senior Advisor in Shell’s Upstream International Operated Business, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, where he supported implementing the revised strategy for positioning Shell Companies in Nigeria for a stronger and more sustainable future.
Before that, Osagie held many senior roles for the company in Nigeria, including Vice President, Human Resources, for Shell’s Upstream Business in Sub-Saharan Africa, Vice President for Infrastructure and Logistics for Shell Nigeria, and Human Resources Director.
Okunbor has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, with a career spanning over three decades. He has worked in various capacities, including Operations Management, Business Development, Strategic Planning and Corporate Social Responsibility.
He strongly advocates for energy access and transition in Africa, Nigerian content development in the oil and gas industry, and corporate social responsibility and community development.
Okunbor got his primary school leaving certificate from All Saints School- Primary School Asaba, Delta State between 1973-1974 and proceeded to Federal Government College- Secondary School Warri, Delta State from 1979-1980.
In 1980 he was admitted into the prestigious University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, where he was later awarded a degree in Business Administration. In 2006, Okunbor got an Executive Negotiation Program from Harvard University-Boston, USA.
His recent academic achievement is from Columbia University in Corporate Governance Program from Columbia Business School, USA.
He has attended various executive development programs, including those at Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business.
As a respected voice in the energy industry in Nigeria and Africa, Okunbor has spoken at numerous conferences and events, home and abroad, sharing his insights on energy trends, industry challenges, and opportunities for growth and development.
An award-winning industry leader with over 37 years of experience in the Energy industry, having worked with Shell Plc in different geographies, including 9 years with SPDC, Nigeria.
A passionate local content champion and Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the largest Energy advocacy group shaping the Nigeria energy industry landscape.
His numerous contributions have added substantial value to the Nigerian economy and shaped the regulatory and institutional landscape of the industry. He’s of high professional and ethical standards, passionate about Nigeria, its economic prosperity and lofty placement in the Comity of Nations.
He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorate degrees and fellowships from professional bodies. Among the awards are, the Diamond Ambassador of Brand Nigeria Award by the Nigerian Institute of Publications, and Award for Excellence and Integrity in Corporate Leadership by the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State.
In 2022, Okunbor was named the sole recipient of the H. E. Dr. Alirio Parra Lifetime Achievement Award in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry for the year 2022. Osagie Okunbor is married and blessed with children.
