Shell Celebrates Okunbor’s Deepwater Exploits In Nigeria

Key oil and gas stakeholders profoundly highlighted Osagie Okunbor’s contributions to the development of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, especially, Nigerian content as well as key roles in Shell’s investments in Deep-water and Integrated Gas in Nigeria.

They spoke as Shell Nigeria celebrated Osagie Okunbor, its Country Chair, who is retiring this month after 39 years of service.

Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including government functionaries, regulators, and chief executives of indigenous and international oil companies have joined to honour Okunbor at the milestone ceremonies which began in Abuja on June 24, 2025.

Executive Vice President Nigeria, Marno de Jong, will take on the additional responsibilities of Country Chair Nigeria.

Marno said, “Osagie is a respected leader in Shell and the broader industry whose wise counsel and insights have proved invaluable. Over a career that has lasted nearly 40 years, Okunbor has related with a wide range of stakeholders, from communities to industry leaders, with empathy and excellent relational skills. We will all miss his presence and wish him a most enjoyable retirement.”

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 useful in my modest contributions.”

A graduate of University of Benin in Business Administration, Okunbor joined Shell in 1986 and has served in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brunei and the Netherlands.

He became Managing Director of the defunct Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria in 2015.

His previous roles include Vice President, Infrastructure and Logistics in Nigeria, Vice President Human Resources, Sub-Saharan Africa and Senior Advisor, Upstream International Operated Business.

Okunbor has also been a key player in the Nigerian energy industry, serving as two-term Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Industry.

He received the H.E. Dr Alirio Parra Lifetime Achievement Award in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry in 2022, among several other honours.