SHELL Nigeria has announced the retirement of its Country Chair, Osagie Okunbor, marking the end of a remarkable 39-year career with the global energy giant.
Okunbor, who joined Shell in 1986 after graduating with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Benin, is being celebrated for his decades-long contribution to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He officially bows out this month, capping a career that has spanned roles across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brunei, and the Netherlands.
In his honor, industry stakeholders—including top government officials, regulators, and oil executives—gathered in Abuja on June 24 to pay tribute to his legacy.
The ceremonies highlighted his strategic leadership, particularly in strengthening Nigerian content and guiding Shell’s investments in Deepwater and Integrated Gas projects in Nigeria.
Shell’s Executive Vice President for Nigeria, Marno de Jong, who will assume additional duties as Country Chair, described Okunbor as “a respected leader in Shell and the broader industry.” He added, “Okunbor’s empathy, stakeholder engagement, and wise counsel will be sorely missed.”
Reflecting on his career, Okunbor said: “It has been an honour of a lifetime serving my country on a global platform offered by Shell. The Shell values of honesty, integrity, and respect for people have been central to my journey.”
Okunbor previously served as Managing Director of the now-defunct Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), and held several key positions, including Vice President of Infrastructure and Logistics in Nigeria, VP of Human Resources for Sub-Saharan Africa, and Senior Advisor for Shell’s International Upstream operations.
Beyond Shell, Okunbor also contributed significantly to the industry at large, notably serving two terms as Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) under the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2022, he received the H.E. Dr. Alirio Parra Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his influence on Nigeria’s oil and gas landscape.
His retirement is being marked as the close of an era for Shell and Nigeria’s energy sector.