Oando Appoints Three New Independent Non-executive Directors

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Oando Plc has informed its shareholders and other stakeholders that the Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Cosmas Iwueze,  Mr. Ken Igbokwe and Mr. Bashir Bello as Independent Non-executive Directors of the integrated oil and gas company.

While Iwueze’s appointment was effective December 16, 2024, the other two took effect November 25, 2024, in line with Article 88 of the Company’s Articles of Association (AOA).

In a statement yesterday, Oando described Iwueze as a seasoned petroleum engineer and business leader with over three decades of experience in the oil and gas industry.  

Joining Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) in 1990, Iwueze, it disclosed, rose through positions of increasing responsibility across Reservoir and Asset Management, Commercial Development, Operations, Project Management, and Business Strategy. He also gained international experience working with Chevron in California and Angola. 

It said that he previously held leadership roles as Business Services Director for Chevron’s Nigeria/Mid-Africa unit, General Manager of Operations, and General Manager of Asset Development and Exploration.

“Notable achievements include securing third-party financing for JV projects and contributing to national petroleum policy development during a secondment to the Nigerian government. 

“Prior to retiring in November 2024, Cosmas served as Director of the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture (JV), overseeing the JV asset development, major projects as well as oil and gas production with profit and loss accountability. In this role, he led strategic initiatives, managed multiple general managers, and acted as Managing Director when required,” it added.

In addition, it said that Igbokwe is a highly experienced management and consulting professional with over 35 years of expertise in various sectors, including oil & gas, financial services and the public sector. 

During his career at PwC Nigeria, Oando said Igbokwe held key top leadership roles in Assurance, Tax and Consulting.

“His experience spans a wide range of areas such as statutory, financial and process audits & assurance, business valuations, dispute resolution, financial and information systems risk management, corporate strategy development, corporate performance management, and tax planning. 

“In his role as Country Leader of PwC Nigeria, Ken had responsibility for driving strategic thinking and the visioning that underpinned the growth of the firm. He was in this leadership position for 10 years during which PwC Nigeria business recorded tremendous growth with PwC becoming the leading ‘Big 4’ brand. 

“He led the PwC West Africa business into the Africa-wide PwC merger in 2012. Ken contributes to public discourse and debates on public sector transformation in Nigeria and on matters which focus on corporate governance and the strengthening of the investment climate. 

“Ken holds a B.Sc. (Eng) degree in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London University, which he attended as a Shell Scholar and graduated from, in 1978. He is a current member of the Institutes of Chartered Accountants England & Wales, and Nigeria. He is also a current member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria,” it added.

Also, it said that Bello is an oil and gas professional with over 32 years of experience in Technical and Executive Management positions across the industry, with his expertise spanning all sectors, from downstream (refining) to midstream (LNG) and upstream (Exploration and Production), with a strong focus on Operations, Engineering, Project Management, and Corporate Governance. 

“Bashir has served as a Board Member for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Bonny Gas Transport Company, NLNG Ship Manning Company Limited, and various Board Committees of Nigeria LNG.  

“With a proven ability in Interface and Stakeholder Management, Bashir is skilled at delivering business value in Joint Ventures with diverse shareholder agendas, managing projects with complex interfaces and stakeholder expectations, and overseeing operations with diverse functional requirements and limited resources. 

“Bashir holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Mechanical Engineering from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria. Bashir is a Fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), and a Registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN),” it added.