The Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) has formally inaugurated Olajumoke Cecilia Ajayi as the 48th President of the 50-year-old association.

The inauguration took place at the NAPE Annual International Conference and Exhibition, attended by senior executives across the upstream, midstream, and service sectors, as well as representatives of government and international partners.

Ajayi is the Managing Director/CEO of Ingentia Energies Limited, a position she assumed in October 2022.

With over two decades of remarkable experience in the oil and gas industry, she has become one of the pioneering female leaders in Africa’s upstream sector.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in applied geophysics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure and a Master of Science degree in the same field from the University of Lagos.

Her journey began at Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (ExxonMobil) and over the years, her outstanding leadership and technical expertise saw her advance through several reputable organisations, including Asharami Energy (the upstream arm of Sahara Energy Group), Centrica Resources Nig. Limited (British Gas), Peak Petroleum Limited and Degeconek Consulting.

In her inaugural address, Ajayi outlined key priorities of her tenure, including a comprehensive review of geosciences curricula in Nigerian universities to ensure alignment with emerging technologies, data analytics and the evolving energy mix, expansion of mentorship and leadership pipelines for young professionals and the strengthening of NAPE’s advocacy role in shaping sustainable energy policies.

She is the third female President of NAPE since its inception and the first woman to serve as Vice President of the association, reinforcing the association’s commitment to inclusiveness, excellence and progressive leadership in the geosciences and energy sector.

Ajayi is a fellow of NAPE and an active member of several esteemed international professional bodies, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG).

Her zeal has earned her numerous accolades, both locally and internationally. In 2021, she was recognised by Africanshapers.com as one of the top 100 outstanding female executives in the African oil and gas industry and ranked among the 50 most inspirational energy executives by Africa Oil Week and Lean in Energy.

In 2022, Women in Maritime and Energy (WIME) honoured her as one of the outstanding women in energy (Upstream International) and last year, she was recognised as one of Nigeria’s most impactful women in Leadership.