Keynote Speaker: Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, is the Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the National Coordinator of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementation in Nigeria. A natural resource governance expert, political economist, development Communications specialist, he has over three decades of extensive diverse experience in the public service, international development sector, the EITI, the media and communications industry. He also worked at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as National Consultant, coordinated several donor funded projects on governance and institutional reforms in Nigeria. He holds a PhD in Political Economy and International Development from the University of Abuja. He is an alumnus of the J. F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, the International Law Institute, George Town University, Washington D.C, the World Bank Institute, the African Development Bank Institute, the GIZ Academy of International Development, Bad Honnef, Germany, Thomson Foundation Institute, Cardiff, Uk and the Lagos Business School. He sits on NEITI Board-the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG), a member of the Presidential Implementation Steering Committee on Petroleum Industry Act. He also sits on the National Steering Committee of Open Government Partnership. He currently Chairs the EITI global Contract Transparency Network with members drawn from 20 countries.
Adewole Lawal is Senior Manager -Sustainability at Mazars. He is an ESG professional with over 10 years of experience in Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM), ESG Due Diligence, Sustainable Finance, ESG strategy development and implementation, ESG Reporting, Needs Assessment, Impact Assessment, Occupational Health & Safety Audit, among others. He is a certified Environmental Management System (EMS) Lead Auditor (ISO 14001), Lead Occupational Health & Safety Management System (OH&SMS) implementer (ISO 45001), Lead Risk Manager (ISO 31000) and Governance, Risk Management and Compliance Professional (GRCP). He has experience in stakeholder engagement and sustainability strategy development in compliance with Development Finance Institutions’ (DFIs: WB &IFC, Equator Principles etc.) standards and has worked in diverse sectors such as Banking, Oil and Gas, Energy, Agriculture and Renewable Energy.
Murjanatu Gamawa has over 17 years experience spanning the Upstream, Midstream and Downstream of the oil and gas sub-sectors. Her experience included leading the NEITI Oil and Gas Audits, joining EITI in Oslo as Manager Anglophone Africa where she ensured compliance to EITI standard in five (5) Anglophone African countries. In NNPC Limited she has been involved in policy development, compliance reviews and risk management. Murjanatu currently heads the Business Ethics Department of the Governance, Risk and Compliance Division of NNPC. Murjanatu was part of the PIA Team that provided support in transiting NNPC to NNPC Limited. She was part of the team that developed NNPC Limited’s Board and Subsidiary Governance Framework, conducted Regulatory Health Checks of 21 SBUs and CSUs, reviewed and optimised all NNPC Policies including the Code of Conduct Policy. Murjanatu also led a team that developed Transparency Policy and Framework for NNPC Limited. Murjanatu has degrees in Geology from University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, MSc. in Petroleum Geosciences from Imperial College, London and MBA in Energy Management from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. She is a member of: Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society (NMGS), Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientist (COMEG), American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).
Tengi George-Ikoli is Senior Officer at Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). She is currenting working on NRGI’s project “Oil Dependency in Nigeria,” which aims to imagine a future without oil. Prior to joining NRGI, she worked as the program coordinator for Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), implementing the charter, a set of economic global best practice principles, to advance the interests of the Nigerian economy and its citizens in the management of the country’s natural resource endowments. In her role she collaborated with stakeholders to strengthen revenue management, ensure local communities benefit, promote oil and gas industry efficiency and enhance transparency and accountability in the extractive industry.
Dapo Omolade is the CEO of Hybrid Group. He is an international HSE Consultant with over 22 years’ experience in HSE, Project & Dangerous Goods Management administration, operations, training and consulting for clients in the Oil and Gas, construction, manufacturing, FMCG and various other sectors. He is actively involved in ISO systems development, improvement, implementation & certification. He has chaired many reputable organisations including IOSH West Africa Network. He is the National Coordinator of Safety Advocacy & Empowerment Foundation (NGO) and a member of the technical committee on International Labour Organisation OSH Profiling of Nigeria. He is an alumnus of Lagos Business School, Harvard School of Public Health, Columbia Southern University and the London School of Business Finance.
Dr Mina Ogbanga is the Country Director/CEO of Centre for Development Support Initiative (CEDSI). She holds a PhD in Development Studies. She works in the Institute of Natural Resource, Environment and Sustainable Development (INRES) of the University of Port Harcourt and the Department of Sociology. She is also a Social Science Researcher with demonstrated expertise in Environmental Social Work, Philanthropy, Non-Profit, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement and impact analysis. She has also served as a research fellow in many national and International Institutions. She is well published in national and international peer-reviewed journals.
Adamu Garba is the COO of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center www.nigeriacic.org, a Climate Technology Partnership program of the World Bank with the help of the Government of Nigeria focusing on the growth of a viable green economy in Nigeria. He is tasked with the responsibility of providing business and venture support to climate smart entrepreneurs in terms of training, mentorship, access to finance and markets through collaborations and strategic partnerships, while ensuring the operational deliverables of the Organisation are executed as expected. He has led numerous green projects and programs across various verticals from renewable energy to circularity, water innovations and smart agriculture among others. He is also a strong advocate for gender inclusivity and equality and has designed programs for women in the green space to support and develop women led and youth enterprises in the green ecosystem.
Dr Uwem Ite is the Head, Community and Government Relations at Oriental Energy Resources Limited. He is a sustainable development expert with more than 25 years’ experience including roles in leading and shaping sustainable development thinking and practice within the academic and corporate sectors. He is also a recognised Thought Leader in Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility as evident in his publications as well as conference papers delivered at various fora and platforms.
Oluwakemi Ajakaiye is the Executive Director of Ampak Nigeria Limited. She is a Board Member Nigeria Chapter African Circular Economy Network (ACEN-NG). She is a Chartered Environmentalist experienced in the development and implementation of corporate sustainability, environmental management, occupational health, safe work practices and wellbeing. She is a Life Fellow of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Member Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (MIEMA) and an active member of ten other professional bodies. She is intentional about mentoring and capacity building for upcoming professionals. She is a Trustee of the Philipanna Foundation and an Associate with Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ). She holds an MSc in Planning Sustainable Environments and has a BSc in Microbiology.
Ms. Beatrice Eyong is a seasoned expert in gender equality and women’s empowerment, with over 35 years of experience in the field. She currently serves as the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, where she leads the agency’s efforts to advance the rights and opportunities of Nigerian women and girls. Previously, she held various leadership positions within UN Women, including Resident Representative of Mali, Head of Office in Niger, and Eastern DRC Office Manager. She has also worked with the Canadian Cooperation Support Office and UNDP in Cameroon, as a Gender Specialist/Adviser and an Agronomist respectively. Ms. Eyong holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Extension from the University of Reading, UK, and diplomas
Dayo Okusami holds the position of Partner and Co-Head of the Energy and Natural Resources practice at TEMPLARS. With an extensive background spanning over two decades in the realm of commercial law, he has dedicated his career to TEMPLARS, assuming various roles both within and outside the legal spectrum. Within the Nigerian market, Dayo has earned high esteem as a distinguished legal professional in the Energy, Projects, and Natural Resources sector. His expertise in the field of oil and gas law has gained him widespread recognition, endorsed by prestigious international directories such as the Legal 500, The Clients Guide to the World’s Leading Law Firms and Lawyers, the International Who’s Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers, the IFLR 1000 The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, and the Chambers and Partners–Chambers Global Guide.
Engr Mustapha Gubio is the Honourable Commissioner of Works and Housing, Borno State. He was the commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement from 2019-2023 before he assumed his current position in August 2023. He has over three decades of engineering experience across maintenance, project supervision and construction in the civil service of Borno State. He has served as member of several committees and well-travelled within and Outside Nigeria. He has been the NIMechE Chapter Chairman of Maiduguri between 2016 and 2018, Ex-Officio of Nigerian Society of Engineers,
Maiduguri Branch in 2015. He was recently conferred as Fellow to FiMechE. He’s an astute member of Nigerian Society of Engineers and a Registered Mechanical Engineer with a council of regulation of
Engineering in Nigeria.