Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
The Nigerian Institution of Petroleum Engineers (NIPetE) has officially inaugurated Engr. Dr. Yetunde Aladeitan, FNSE, as its sixth National Chairman, alongside a new executive committee, with a firm charge to strengthen professionalism, deepen industry collaboration, and advance Nigeria’s engineering capacity. The ceremony, held on Saturday at the National Engineering Centre in Abuja, drew representatives from the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), policymakers, academics, and other professional bodies, marking a significant transition for the institution established in 1995.
In her inaugural address, Aladeitan described her election as a strategic opportunity to reposition NIPetE and usher in a new era of professionalism and institutional relevance. She revealed that the past six months had been spent rebuilding the institution's presence through courtesy visits to major oil and gas companies, positioning NIPetE as a key partner for technical knowledge-sharing and local capacity development. Looking ahead, she said the next 18 months would focus on deeper engagement with government agencies, regulators, and operating companies, including closer collaboration with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and international professional bodies.
Aladeitan, who also lectures at the University of Abuja and serves as Director of the Energy Research Centre, announced plans for a policy advisory council to produce position papers on the Petroleum Industry Act, fiscal reforms, and value-chain optimization. She also outlined an expanded training model featuring formal mentorship and internship schemes to link young engineers with industry leaders. Additionally, she unveiled plans for a Diaspora Engineering Initiative to connect Nigerian engineers abroad with the domestic industry for knowledge transfer and collaboration, as well as quarterly industry roundtables and joint projects to foster sustained engagement across the sector.
The Federal Government, represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, used the occasion to call on petroleum engineers to contribute their expertise towards achieving Nigeria's target of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day by 2030. Lokpobiri, who was represented by his Technical Assistant on Business, Kroky Biowe, said the government was expanding oil production and developing infrastructure to accommodate additional crude volumes as part of efforts to achieve energy sufficiency. He disclosed that the NUPRC had completed a bid round in which 31 companies emerged winners of 37 oil blocks, a development that could attract between $15 billion and $21 billion in investment and deliver peak production of about 175,000 barrels per day. The minister urged the new NIPetE leadership and its fellows to work with government, regulators, and operators across the oil and gas value chain to provide the expertise required to achieve the production target. He also commended Aladeitan's emergence as the institution's national chairman and acknowledged the contribution of women to Nigeria's petroleum industry.
The guest speaker, Engr. Chichi Emenike, Acting Managing Director and Gas Asset Manager at Neconde Energy Ltd, said Nigeria's target of three million barrels per day represents far more than production figures—it reflects jobs, foreign exchange, government revenue, and energy security. She argued that success should be measured not by output alone but by the prosperity generated from it. Nigeria, she said, has the ambition, resources, and talent required; what remains is strengthening the connection between assets, capability, and integrity, underpinned by policy consistency. She called on the sector to build competitive Nigerian engineering firms capable of exporting expertise across Africa.
NSE President Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, represented by Deputy President Engr. Valerie Ifueko Agberagba, said the chairmanship demands strategic insight, commitment, and the ability to mobilize members toward shared goals. He used the occasion to address the emergence of the newly formed Nigerian Institution of Petroleum and Gas Engineers (NIPETG), stating that its naming and identity risked confusion with NIPetE. He said the NSE Secretariat had issued a public disclaimer distinguishing the two bodies, describing the move not as hostility toward any individual or group but as a defence of institutional order and public trust. He affirmed that recognized professional institutions must be protected from ambiguity or unauthorized proliferation and pledged that the NSE would continue acting firmly and in accordance with due process.
In his address of welcome, NIPetE Caretaker Committee Chairman Engr. Joe Nwakwue urged the new chairman to lead with unity, inclusiveness, integrity, and purpose, describing the role as a call to service that should place institutional interest above personal considerations. Engr. Effiong Okon delivered the keynote address, titled "Assets, Talent, and Integrity: Engineering Nigeria's 3 Million bpd Target." Goodwill messages were also delivered by Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, and other dignitaries.
Aladeitan brings a wealth of experience to the role. She holds a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, where she was a distinguished alumnus of the class of 2020. She has made impactful contributions to the field through over 15 published research works in high-impact journals, focusing on reservoir engineering, waterflood optimization, and carbon capture and storage. She has played critical roles in the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), serving as Technical Secretary of the Abuja Chapter from 2015 to 2017 and currently holding the position of National Technical Secretary. Her commitment to engineering education and sustainable development has earned her fellowships in both the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
The inauguration marks a significant milestone for the petroleum engineering profession in Nigeria. With the government's ambitious production targets and the institution's renewed focus on stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, and human capital development, Aladeitan's leadership comes at a critical juncture for the industry. As she noted in her address, the task ahead requires partnership, dedication, and a collective commitment to advancing both the profession and the nation. For NIPetE and Nigeria's petroleum engineers, a new chapter has begun.
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