NLNG, Others Highlight Role of Diversity in Business Growth 

Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has underscored the growing importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a strategic lever for business growth, competitiveness and long-term sustainability in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

The company made the case during a panel session at the 10th Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) 2026 in Lagos, where executives shared measurable outcomes and structured approaches aimed at embedding inclusion into corporate performance frameworks.

Head of Diversity and Inclusion at NLNG, Ijeoma Onyenobi, said the company has achieved 35 per cent female representation across its management committees, reflecting a deliberate and data-driven strategy backed by executive sponsorship and board approval.

According to her, NLNG’s DEI architecture goes beyond policy statements, incorporating a dedicated function, structured targets and organisation-wide accountability mechanisms. The framework, she said, covers gender balance, inclusion of persons with disabilities and broader representation objectives aligned with business goals.

Onyenobi highlighted tangible outcomes, including steady growth in female representation from entry-level to senior roles, supported by mass recruitment drives and clearly defined targets.

In her remarks, Shell Nigeria’s Senior Operations Manager for Bonga deepwater assets, Bolanle Odunayo-Ojo, reinforced the business case for inclusion, stressing that homogeneous leadership structures are ill-suited for an industry navigating energy transition pressures, cost optimisation and heightened operational risks.

She referenced Shell’s global Women’s Performance Network and structured talent programmes designed to build a leadership pipeline for women across technical and managerial functions.

In her intervention, Senior Talent Development Specialist at TotalEnergies, Eruviano Obrike, outlined what she described as “stretch targets” that exceed global headquarters’ benchmarks.