Arguably, men are not used to having a woman presiding over as their chairman, president, or chief executive. TEDDY NWANUNOBI writes on why the woman gender should be encouraged.
The situation could be worse if it is a black woman, a black African woman, especially in the oil and gas industry of an African country like Nigeria. But that order is one that could likely change in the near future.
The recent appointment of Engr. (Mrs.) Elohor Aiboni by the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) as its Managing Director, with effect from August 1, has added yet another female leader over many men in the industry. A Aiboni’s appointment was seen as a mind-blowing one in the industry. This is understandable, because Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is still overwhelmingly male dominated, with surveys showing that the executive boardrooms of petroleum companies are mostly a boys’ club. But Aiboni’s elevation is a thing of pride for Shell and Nigerians
“We take pride in our intention of being one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world, and focus on further improving inclusion and representation in critical areas, including gender,” Media Relations Manager of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Mr. Bamidele Odugbesan, said in a statement.
But surveys make clear that women managers are still in the minority in the world’s oil and gas companies.
A consulting partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Laura Manson-Smith, argued that the representation picture is dismal.
“I was surprised at how low the percentage of female directors was (in oil and gas firms around the globe) – 11 per cent, most of them are in non-executive positions, 1 per cent of executive board seats are held by women,” she said.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest producer of oil. It is also the sixth largest producer of oil in the world. It enjoys a maximum crude oil production capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day (mbpd).
The country has since taken steps to open up its oil industry to locals – a policy known as ‘indigenisation’. This explains why a handful of female entrepreneurs are hoping to build on that, by increasing women’s stake in the industry.
The Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) is a privately-owned logistics and engineering facility in the Port of Lagos State. Dr. Amy Jadesimi, a business woman, is the Chief Executive Officer of the petroleum services company.
“When we were growing up, we only had Margaret Thatcher. Today, women are taking for granted that, of course, a woman can reach the highest levels of society,” she observed.
The oil and gas industry is the most symbolic industry in the country. Nigeria’s oil sector generally accounts for about ten per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Between October and December 2020, the oil sector contributed 5.9 per cent to the real GDP – a decrease of roughly three percentage points, compared to the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2021, the contribution of the oil sector to the country’s GDP reached 7.42 per cent. The industry accounts for 95 per cent of oil exports in the West African country.
Encouraging more women
Last June, professionals in the energy sector called on women to break cultural norms, and embrace more of the oil and gas sector. The professionals added that women make up the largest numbers of entrepreneurs in the country.
The call was made at the 2021 International Petroleum Summit in Abuja, a platform to meet the country’s oil and gas players.
The Treasurer of the Commonwealth Business Network, Tosin Sodeinde, said there are opportunities in this sector but women need to stretch themselves a little bit like men.
“There are enough women in the industry, because originally it was male-dominated, but landscapes are changing, and with a forum like this, an organisation that pushes women, and with government interest and participation, more will start closing in. I am confident about that,” she added.
The Chief Executive Officer, Dindu Nergy Limited, Chidinma Obi, reiterated that, at Commonwealth Business Network, they also focus on other women aspiring to be in oil and gas, providing them with the necessary information to achieve their goals.
“It is not that we do not have enough women in the sector but the awareness has not been there focusing on women in oil and gas which is what we have been trying to do that is an emphasis on CWBN right now. So, women are there, but they have not been showcased to indicate where they are and what they are doing,” she said.
According to the Chief Executive Officer, Jade Project, Dolapo Okulaja-Kotun, the oil and gas industry has been a male-dominated sector, because many women do not venture into the sciences and technology.
“There is a lot of room for different kinds of sources in the energy sector, but women have been focusing more on the non-technical side which is the business side, which is business administration, human capital resource managers, finance and law,” she added.
The Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) is the only accredited organisation focused on women’s economic empowerment, and recognised by 54 governments.
The CBWN Nigeria is a National Leadership Ground Partner for Nigeria pioneered by the Charter of the Commonwealth (2013), signed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll, Head of the Commonwealth on Commonwealth Day 2013, and endorsed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government during Australia’s term as Chair-in-Office.
Perhaps, it is only the CBWN Nigeria that is making efforts to push more women into Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is rolling out policies that are gender friendly for the oil and gas industry. The policies would ensure that women operators in the Nigerian oil and gas industry would be benefitting from such gender friendly policies on access to funding, award of contracts, and support for research and development.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, announced this at the close of the workshop it organised for women in the oil and gas industry in Lagos.
Wabote noted that, since the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act was instituted as a deliberate agenda to get more Nigerians to participate in the oil and gas industry, there should also be special initiatives to encourage women participation in the sector.
He quoted a recent study by the Global Energy Talent Index Report which indicated that there is a chronic shortage of women in the oil and gas industry.
“It is estimated that women occupy about 50 per cent of non-technical positions at entry level compared to only 15 per cent of technical and field role positions.
“Gender diversity decreases with seniority with only a tiny proportion of women in executive positions. The percentage of women in the industry drops over time from 36 per cent to 24 per cent between the middle and executive level,” he observed.
He said that the NCDMB will review its strategy on the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund).
“Access to finance is very important, and we will look at our policy to see how we can support women who are serious (about doing) business,” he added.
Already, two companies, managed by women have benefitted from the NCI Fund, because the NCDMB took deliberate actions to ensure that, Wabote said.
The Executive Secretary assured that the Board would work with project promoters in the oil and gas industry to ensure the award of some contracts to companies owned by women, including the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company, which is set to start the execution of the Train 7 project.
He promised that the NCDMB would also encourage the study of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by young girls in secondary schools, and drive the collation of data on women who participate in various sectors of the oil and gas industry, so that they can receive support.
“Out of the total number trained by the Board, women constitute about 20 per cent of the trainees and we hope to increase the number of women trained to meet up the industry skilled labour demand,” the Executive Secretary confirmed.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. (Mrs.) Folasade Yemi-Esan, commended the Executive Secretary NCDMB for organising the workshop irrespective of his gender.
Yemi-Esan, who stated that Wabote is an epitome of what humanity stands for, expressed hope that the workshop would catalyse other dialogues to be initiated by the Board, and complement other ongoing activities, programmes and policies of government to propel Nigeria to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 4, 5 and 10.
She insisted that Nigeria should “go beyond the rhetoric of having a quota for women in decision making or other strategic positions by ensuring that the country maximises the economic potential of its whole labour force by promoting equal rights, access and opportunities for all at all levels.”
She emphasised that the effective implementation of gender related policies is dependent on actions taken by women to acquire the requisite skills for technical positions taking into cognisance that affirmative action is not geared towards jettisoning quality for quantity.
Yemi-Esan underscored the need for present and aspiring female industry professionals to pursue technically inclined disciplines, which will, in turn, expose them to better opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
She assured of the commitment and collaboration of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to facilitate the formulation of gender smart policies as well as supporting relevant ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) in gathering reliable women specific data for the industry.
The workshop featured three panel discussions on key success factors for female corporate executives and entrepreneurs in the oil and gas industry; Partnerships, Programmes and Structures for women in the oil and gas industry, and overcoming barriers to career progression and mentoring the next generation.
Cases:
Apart from Aiboni, below are some of the women that have risen to the leadership position in the nation’s oil and gas industry, who can serve as source of encouragement for more women to aspire:
Godrey Ogbechie: Mrs. Ogbechie, who has made a name for herself in the banking, as well as the oil and gas industry, is the Group Executive Director of Rainoil Limited.
Victoria Samson: She is the Managing Director of the Bovas & Company Limited – dealer under Texaco Nigeria Ltd (now MRS Plc). Mrs. Samson has experience over 25 years in the Oil and Gas industry as a dealer with both Texaco Nigeria Plc and Mobil Plc.
Folorunsho Alakija: The Executive Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil Limited, Mrs. Alakija is a Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist.
Catherine Uju-Ifejika: She is a lawyer and CEO/Chairperson of Brittania-U. She is also regarded as one of the most influential women in the oil and gas industry worldwide.
Audrey Joe-Ezigbo: She is the Deputy Managing Director of Falcon Corporation Limited – a leading wholly indigenous midstream and downstream energy, gas distribution and trading company. She is also the first female President of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA) – the umbrella association and voice for business and professionals that are involved in the Nigerian gas sector.
Is it time for women?
Gone are the days when women do not pursue their careers to the fullest. They have successfully learned how to balance their career and family responsibilities to achieve equilibrium. Women are not only operating but are also taking up leadership positions in the Nigerian oil and gas sector, bringing in their skills, and nurturing nature into the business which makes them exceptional in the field.
Women have risen. Women are there. But they are not there because they are women.
“We are there because of our competence as managers,” former Minister of Finance and current Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, noted.
A series of studies by McKinsey titled, ‘Women Matter’, found out that companies with a higher proportion of female executives showed stronger financial performance than those with no women in top positions. The study also showed that women tend to apply certain “leadership behaviours” more than men. They include: people development, setting expectations and rewards, and acting as role models.
A Lagos-based entrepreneur and former lawyer who wants women to think bigger and invest in areas like oil and gas, Mrs. Winihin Ayuli-Jemide, welcomes these studies.
“In Africa, we really don’t have information about gender issues. Nothing on how we are doing in the economy. In oil and gas, women are emerging. There is a business case for it,” she said.
