Seplat Energy appoints Effiong Okon as chief executive officer

Seplat Energy Plc has appointed Effiong Okon as its chief executive officer, making him the primary Akwa Ibom indigene to occupy the highest executive place on the Nigerian vitality firm.

Mr Okon, an engineer with greater than 35 years of expertise within the oil and fuel business, was appointed by the corporate’s board of administrators in June 2026 and assumed workplace on 1 August 2026, in response to data published on Seplat Energy’s web site.

Onofiok Luke, a former member of the House of Representatives and former speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, recommended the appointment, describing it as a big milestone for the state.

In a Facebook post, Mr Luke congratulated Mr Okon, saying his emergence mirrored years {of professional} dedication, competence and repair.

He mentioned the appointment ought to encourage younger folks from Akwa Ibom to pursue management positions within the oil and fuel business and different globally aggressive sectors.

“For years, we have consistently clamoured, advocated and hoped to see our sons and daughters rise to the apex of International Oil Companies, particularly those operating within our communities and drawing substantially from our natural endowments,” Mr Luke wrote.

He additionally known as for better alternatives for native professionals and host communities, arguing that communities the place oil and fuel are extracted ought to take part not solely in useful resource manufacturing but additionally in business management, worth creation and prosperity.

Mr Luke cited Udom Inoyo, a former vice chairman of ExxonMobil’s Nigerian associates, as one of many Akwa Ibom professionals who had beforehand attained senior management positions within the business.

He wished Mr Okon a profitable tenure and described the appointment as a supply of inspiration to aspiring professionals from the state.

Career and business expertise

Mr Okon joined Seplat Energy in 2018 and has held a number of senior positions, together with executive director of operations, director of latest vitality, and director of initiatives. He additionally served as managing director of ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited, a three way partnership between Seplat Energy and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

According to his biography, he oversaw the event of the 300-million-standard-cubic-feet-per-day ANOH Gas Processing Plant, which achieved its first fuel in January 2026.

ANOH is an acronym for Assa North-Ohaji South, a significant pure fuel improvement challenge situated in Imo State, Nigeria

Before becoming a member of Seplat, Mr Okon spent 26 years at Shell, the place he held senior positions in Nigeria, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. His assignments included vp of price management and steady enchancment within the Netherlands, normal supervisor of deepwater and offshore belongings in Nigeria, and deputy vp technical and supervisor of the North Field at Qatar Shell.

He additionally participated within the commissioning and early manufacturing phases of Qatar’s Pearl gas-to-liquids challenge and QatarGas LNG Trains 7 and eight, in response to his biography.

Mr Okon studied on the University of Benin and attended IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Harvard Business School in Boston, United States. He is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the UK Energy Institute, and a registered engineer in Nigeria.

He is married to Bertha Okon, they usually have 4 kids.

Seplat’s progress and acquisition of Mobil’s Nigeria enterprise

Seplat Energy was established in 2009 by means of a partnership between Shebah Petroleum Development Company and Platform Petroleum Joint Ventures. The firm has since expanded its operations in Nigeria’s oil and fuel business, with pursuits spanning hydrocarbon manufacturing, fuel processing, and vitality transition initiatives.

A significant turning level got here in December 2024, when Seplat accomplished its acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), the Nigerian shallow-water oil and fuel enterprise previously owned by ExxonMobil. The transaction adopted an settlement introduced in February 2022 and regulatory approvals for the deal.

Following the acquisition, Seplat renamed the enterprise Seplat Energy Producing Nigeria Unlimited (SEPNU). The acquired belongings embody pursuits in 4 oil mining leases — OMLs 67, 68, 70 and 104 — operated underneath a three way partnership with NNPC, as effectively as related infrastructure, together with the Qua Iboe Terminal and pursuits within the Bonny River Terminal and fuel processing services.

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Seplat mentioned the acquisition greater than doubled its manufacturing and expanded its portfolio throughout onshore and shallow-water operations. The enlarged enterprise has pursuits in oil and fuel fields, fuel processing services and export terminals, strengthening its place amongst Nigeria’s indigenous vitality producers.

The firm is listed on each the Nigerian Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. Its operations contribute to Nigeria’s oil manufacturing and home fuel provide, with fuel serving as an essential gasoline for electrical energy era and industrial exercise. The firm has additionally recognized gas-led progress and the event of cleaner vitality options as priorities in its technique.

Mr Okon takes over the management of the enlarged firm following this enlargement, with duty for overseeing its operations, challenge supply, manufacturing progress, and fuel improvement technique.