- Women must boldly negotiate their value in the industry
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in the African Region (SPE Africa, Engr Riverson Oppong, has thrown his weight behind the growing call for the energy industry leadership in the continent to yield more stools for qualified female professionals.
His call followed a strident call the Chief Executive Officer of the Ugandan National Oil Company (UNOC), Mrs Proscovia Nabbanja, on female players in the industry to stand for their space by boldly negotiating their value in the industry.
CEO of UNOCMrs Proscovia Nabbanja
These were part of the discussions that featured in the new Oilda Fireside Chat with Riverson Oppong and Proscovia Nabbanja at the just concluded Sub-Saharan Africa Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) hosted by the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) in Lagos.
The Oilda Fireside Chat series supported by The Oracle Newspapers Limited is anchored by the award winning broadcaster, Ms Adefemi Akinsanya, provides novel platforms for African energy industry and trade policy debates with a view to harmonize development strategies for the continent.
Mrs Nabbanja from Uganda and Engr Oppong from Ghana kicked off the debate series at the panel forum hosted at the exhibition stand of Oilda Energy Group.
The African Regional Director of SPE declared at the end of the discussion that there urgent need for gender balance in the leadership of the industry, pointing out that the performance of few women in the leadership of the industry has indicated strongly that gender diversity has become urgent.
He was listening to Mrs Nabbanja who narrated that she is the first female technical staff in the Ugandan petroleum industry who has witnessed firsthand how the attitude of male domination has limited the progress of the industry.
She called on women in the industry to be brave enough claim credit for their accomplishments in the work place and also boldly negotiate their worth in the industry. She pointed out that stereotypes come into force during evaluations and at board decisions.
In arguing that women work twice as hard as men in the energy industry, Mrs Nabbanja stated that it takes a lot of resilience for women to deliver excellence in industry field assignments.
The UNOC CEO challenged women in the industry to rise above vulnerability and self blame by mustering robust peer influence in lifting themselves up the career ladder.
Mrs Nabbanja is leading the Ugandan national oil company in a diversity of complex projects that seek to optimise economic values from the country’s budding petroleum industry.
From running joint ventures with TotalEnergies on exploration and production, regional pipeline development and reserves growth mandates; Mrs Nabbanja’s office is also saddled with seeking international partners in operated assigned oil blocks, developing domestic refining capacity and feeding the domestic economy with adequate energy to drive national development.
She said UNOC and partners are working to grow annual industry investment from current $20 billion under a fiscal incentive that offers companies high rate of returns on investments.
Mrs Nabbanja confessed that she is an incidental oil woman who had her initial training in medical sciences but has since mopped robust industry experience from exploration through field development, refinery projects and infrastructure development.
Impressed by her experience and innovative thinking on issues in the industry, Engr Oppong declared at the end of the spotlight session that it is indeed “time for women transition” in the African petroleum industry. He pointed out that SPE has equal opportunities and level playing ground for all professionals in the industry irrespective of gender.
