The Nigerian oil and gas sector has been seen as a tough, male-dominated space. The boardrooms are usually filled with engineers, executives, and dealmakers who shape the country’s most economically important sector.

But over the years, several Nigerian women have stepped into that world and built an influence of their own. Some founded energy companies, while others shaped policy, infrastructure and gas development. Together, they represent a generation proving that leadership in the energy sector is no longer a men-only conversation.

Here are seven women whose work continues to shape Nigeria’s oil and gas landscape.

Catherine Uju Ifejika

Catherine Uju Ifejika is one of the first Nigerian women to head an indigenous oil company with a producing marginal oil field. In 2007, Uju Ifejika became the Chairperson/CEO of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited, a Nigerian oil and gas company under the Brittania-U Group.

She is regarded as one of the most powerful women in Nigeria’s oil industry.

Her company made history by becoming one of the few Nigerian firms to operate in the production of marginal oil fields, a space once dominated by international companies. Ifejika’s leadership has earned her recognition as one of Africa’s leading female energy entrepreneurs.

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo

Audrey Joe-Ezigbo has spent more than three decades shaping Nigeria’s gas sector. As Deputy Managing Director of Falcon Corporation, she helped grow the company from a modest oil services contractor into a key player in gas distribution and infrastructure development.

She also made history as the first woman to serve as President of the Nigerian Gas Association, where she helped drive policy discussions around gas utilisation and energy development in Nigeria.

Nkechi Obi

Nkechi Obi is the founder and GMD/ CEO of Techno Oil Limited, a foremost oil and gas company that holds a diverse portfolio of infrastructural investments in the energy and manufacturing sectors.

Under her leadership, the company built one of West Africa’s largest lubricant blending plants and expanded LPG infrastructure to promote cleaner energy use in Nigeria.

 Her career reflects years of dedication, competence and a strong commitment to building an enduring institution in Nigeria’s energy sector.

Winifred Akpani

Winifred Akpani OFR is a Nigerian businesswoman and entrepreneur recognised for her contributions to the oil and gas industry. She is a Chartered Accountant and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, an indigenous petroleum products marketing company based in Nigeria.

Since establishing the company in 1998, she has overseen the growth of a network of petroleum storage facilities and retail stations, positioning Northwest Petroleum as a significant player in Nigeria’s energy distribution market.

Hajia Bola Muinat Shagaya

Hajia Bola Muinat Shagaya is a Nigerian businesswoman and fashion enthusiast. She is one of the richest women in Africa. Bola Shagaya is one of Nigeria’s most influential entrepreneurs and the founder of Practic Oil Limited, a company involved in the importation and distribution of petroleum products.

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Over the years, she has built one of the largest base-oil import businesses in Nigeria while expanding her interests into banking, real estate and other sectors. 

Folorunsho Alakija

Folorunsho Alakija first built a successful career in fashion, founding the label Supreme Stitches, which catered to high-profile clients in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s. Her entry into the oil industry came through Famfa Oil Limited, a company she founded that later secured a stake in the prolific OML 127 oil block, located offshore in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.

The block, operated in partnership with international oil companies, went on to become one of Nigeria’s most productive deep-water oil assets. Through Famfa Oil, Alakija emerged as one of the most prominent female entrepreneurs in the country’s upstream petroleum sector.

Rosario Osobase

Rosario Osobase is one of the rising female leaders helping shape the commercial side of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. She currently serves as Managing Director of Tenaris Nigeria, a global energy services company that supplies steel pipes and technical solutions to oil and gas operators.

Before stepping into that leadership role, she built a career across finance, manufacturing and energy services, gaining experience in multinational companies including Schlumberger. Her work has focused largely on strengthening the supply chain that supports Nigeria’s upstream petroleum operations.

Her career embodies a fresh wave of women driving Nigeria’s oil and gas sector forward, not just in production, but also in shaping the commercial and infrastructure backbone of the industry

Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remains one of the most influential pillars of the national economy. But the presence of women across exploration, distribution, gas infrastructure, and policy is gradually reshaping the industry.

These leaders are building companies, influencing policy, and mentoring the next generation of women who will define Nigeria’s energy future.

Anita Chinedu