…..Inspires Women in Energy
The Director of the NNPC Academy, Mrs. Folashade Adekeye, has challenged women in the oil and gas industry to stop waiting for inclusion and instead take the lead in shaping the future of Africa’s energy sector.
Speaking during the 4th Biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology (ICHST 2025) in Abuja, Adekeye delivered an inspiring keynote at a session themed “Innovative Leadership: Women Driving Change in the Oil and Gas Sector.”
Adekeye said women are increasingly taking on strategic roles in an industry long dominated by men, proving that leadership in energy is about competence, courage, and creativity — not gender.
She said, “I When you hear ‘oil and gas,’ the image that comes to mind is usually male. But that narrative is changing. We’re not waiting to be invited to the table anymore : we’re building new tables, leading new conversations, and shaping new futures.”
She noted that the oil and gas sector is at a turning point, driven by digital transformation, sustainability goals, and the global energy transition. According to her, women are not just adapting to these shifts but are emerging as key drivers of innovation and progress.
She said, “Innovation is the engine of progress, and leadership is the fuel that drives it. In this evolving sector, women are showing that empathy, collaboration, and courage are the real catalysts of innovation.”
She further described innovative leadership as a blend of curiosity and compassion; qualities women naturally bring to the workplace, while calling empathy and emotional intelligence power skills, not soft skills.
She said, “Women bring a unique lens to leadership, one that values collaboration over competition, sustainability over short-term gains, and people over profit. These are not soft skills. They are power skills. And they’re exactly what the oil and gas industry needs now more than ever.”
Adekeye celebrated women breaking barriers across the value chain, including Sofia, Executive Vice President at NNPC Limited; Leticia Gona, NNPC’s first Chief Innovation Officer; and Danielle Nico, Vice President of Chevron Lubricants, saying their achievements reflect a new era of inclusion in the sector.
She concluded with a call for women in energy to keep mentoring, innovating, and leading with integrity.
The session ended with a vibrant panel discussion featuring women executives and engineers from across the continent, reaffirming the ICHST 2025 theme — “Transforming Africa’s Hydrocarbon Sector: Balancing Growth, Environment, and Governance.”
