When it comes to Nigeria’s petroleum industry’s political appointees, Diezani Alison-Madueke, comes to mind. In April 2010, she was appointed as the first woman Minister of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria, and the rest is a story.
Meanwhile, below are three women on the NNPC Limited Board with clean slates so far;
Senator Margery C. Okadigbo
Senator Margery C. Okadigbo is the wife of Dr. Chuba Okadigbo who died in September 25, 2003. Her husband was Nigeria’s 8th Senate President.
She is currently the Chairman, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC Limited) and principal Partner of Margery C. Okadigbo & Associates.
Upon completion of her law degree at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1981, she was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1982. Senator Okadigbo attended the prestigious George Washington University, USA where she obtained her Master’s Degree in Law (MCL) specializing in Comparative International Law and Negotiations. She is a Notary Public of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Senator Okadigbo is a Seasoned Lawyer, an Entrepreneur, and a Legislator who represented Anambra North Senatorial District as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 2011 -2015. She was the Vice-Chairman Health Committee and member of numerous committees such as SURE-P, Environment, Judiciary, FCT, Aviation and Constitutional Review.
As the Vice-Chairman Health Committee, she played a key role in restructuring the healthcare industry by co-sponsoring the National Health Bill 2004 and lobbied for bipartisan effort to improve the healthcare system in Nigeria.
She was also a member of the Senate committee on subsidy reinvestment and empowerment program (SURE-P) focused on strategically reinvesting oil subsidy savings on critical infrastructure programs and social safety net
programs.
Further to her career development, she attained professional certificates in high performance leadership, decision making, and strategic programs at renowned institutions such as Harvard University, Georgetown University, and the University of Chicago’s Booth Business School.
Barrister Constance Onukwugha
Barr. Constance Harry Onukwugha is a legal professional with over 28 years of experience in Corporate Law.
Barr. (Mrs.) Constance Harry-Onukwugha, was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South-South of Nigeria.She holds a Bachelor Degree of Law (LLB, Hons) from the University of Ibadan, 1994 and BL from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, 1995.
She also holds a Diploma in Human Resources Management from The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Nigeria. (CIPMN).
Among other positions, she also worked with the Rivers State Ministry of Justice as a State Counsel, thereafter worked with Forthright Integrated Services limited as Director Human Resources Management; with the responsibility of maintaining an optimal organizational structure to support the achievement of the company’s goals and objectives also ensuring appropriate balance between staff personal and professional goals.
In 2013, she set up her own Law and Estate Management Firm; Constance Harry & Co. where she is the principal partner and Chief Executive Officer of the firm till date.
She is married with two sons.
Mrs Lami Onayi Ahmed
Mrs. Lami Onayi Ahmed has over 30 years of working experience covering the entire value chain of the oil & gas industry.
She is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist who is involved in several charity endeavours and humanitarian services across the country. She is an avid golfer with extensive interests across business, social work and politics.
Narrating her working experience, she said in an interview; “I have worked all my life with National Oil; which later became Conoil.
“And as one of the staff, I have worked in various capacities to the extent that when I left Conoil, because of my track record I was given the opportunity to run one of their best-filling stations, and that I was managing for Conoil until I became a member of the board which of course is very tasking, and I had to ask the management of Conoil to consider allowing another person to run the filling station, while I concentrate on my new schedules. I am a developer and I know that working with the NNPC would take a lot of time, and I want to give it my best shot”.
Her appointment is to represent the North-Central geopolitical zone, which comprises about seven states including the FCT.
