Remembering seismic progenitor in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, Boni Madubunyi

The historicity of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry will not be complete without mentioning the name of Engineer Boniface Madubunyi and his Mabon Energy formed in 1983. It was he who pioneered and revolutionised seismic surveys of Nigeria’s ultra-deepwaters for oil and gas prospects.

Our paths crossed in 1997 when I was the energy, science and technology editor of Channels Television in Lagos. It was at the annual national conference of the National Association of Petroleum Explorationists, NAPE, at the MUSON Centre, where Tom Tier, an American director of Mabon Energy was part of the technical eggheads at the conference.

An indigene of Ihiala in Anambra State, Madubunyi, who died at 90 in London on May 13, 2024, was born on December 12, 1933. This amiable gentleman was practically unknown to the Nigerian public because he shunned being labelled a wealthy man or an entrepreneur, in spite of his cosmopolitan nature. Instead, he preferred a reserved style/mein and being recognized or addressed as a professional consultant. He was an embodiment of hard work and humility. In recognition of his contributions to national development and society, he was awarded the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

His professional career spanned Norway, Sweden, Egypt, England, Congo Brazzaville and Nigeria. He worked with Seismograph Service Limited, later renamed Schlumberger as well as being a consultant to the NNPC and equally served as a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee constituted by Obasanjo to advice his administration on fuel, energy, mines and the mineral sector.

A devout Catholic and son of a catechist and teacher, Madubunyi, when asked when he would retire as he was still actively hard at work despite his advanced age, retorted: “The pope, who has the world as his constituency, still works!” He was a man imbued with taste, class, and sophistication.

His Mabon Energy in 1991, undertook on behalf of the federal government the first non-exclusive seismic oil and gas survey of 24,000 kilometers of deep offshore Nigerian waters. The seismic survey and the resulting data generated by the company exposed the nation’s oil and gas potentials to the global community. The main objective of this 2D survey was the production of a regional geophysical and geochemical data acquisition data base, and its biostratigraphic interpretation aimed at increasing Nigeria’s crude oil and gas reserves.

The availability of this data enabled the federal government to carry out the first bidding/licensing round for oil and gas acreages/blocs. Also, acting in conjunction with its American partners, Texas A & M University, Mabon Energy provided the first ever geochemical study program involving coring and oceanographic studies of the country’s waters. In 1993, Mabon Energy again executed another seismic, gravity and magnetic data survey covering an area of 6, 990.40 kilometers and was accompanied with biostratigraphic analysis of key oil and gas wells.

Subsequent surveys were carried out by the same firm covering 10,899.5 kilometers of seismic and 33,390 sq kilometers of gravity magnetic survey, the digitization/compilation of existing seismic data of 216 oil wells covering an area of 12,000 kilometers in the Niger Delta, and in January 1999, Mabon Energy executed another seismic survey covering 7,012 kilometers of very deep offshore waters. Oil and gas fields generated from the various seismic and other surveys undertaken by the company include Bonga, Agbami, Akpo, Erha, JDZ and Abo.

The economic and other benefits that accrued to the country as a consequence of the seismic and other survey works are enormous. For starters, Mabon Energy paid over $20 million as royalty and taxes to the federal government, over $2billion direct revenue accrued to the government from the licensing/development of new acreages, increased investments by Exxon, BP Statoil, Total, Conoco and foreign/local oil firms, revealing the nation’s unexplored massive hydrocarbon reserves, acquiring and processing the proprietary geophysical data on OPL 91for NPDC etc.

In July 2007, Mabon Group as part of its corporate social responsibility submitted to the federal government, a line of action it termed non-subsidy solution to the petroleum products supply crisis in the country. July of same year, the group submitted another proposal on modalities to fast -track economic development and growth in Nigeria. It advised the federal government to focus on six critical sub-sectors of power, petroleum products supply, job creation, water supply, road infrastructure and public mass transit it identified as crucial to catalyze the nation’s ambition to develop economically.

Another landmark project undertaken by the Mabon Group is the Dadin Kowa 34/39MW hydropower dam in Gombe State.

Apart from his achievements in business, Madubunyi also established a foundation named after him that is dedicated to medicine and education.

Since his passing, tributes have poured in from family, friends, business partners (home and abroad), political associates, traditional and religious leaders, including the Governor of Gombe State, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Goronyo, former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, the Catholic bishops of Minna and Benin, Martin Uzoukwu and Augustine Akubeze, respectively.

Obasanjo in his tribute said: “Engr. Madubunyi had, over the years shown that his astute business acumen was matched only by sheer doggedness and determination to succeed in whatever ventures he undertook. It is thus not surprising that he had the way of indigenous participation in several areas of the economy especially in the oil and gas as well as energy and power sector.”

“He enshrined his name in our collective consciousness through his prodigious courage, especially patriotism, stoic perseverance and visionary leadership. An employer of labour, a philanthropist, Engr. Madubunyi’s selfless service to the country and exemplary leadership will be greatly missed by his community, local government area, state and the nation in general.”

The late octogenarian is survived by his wife, Mrs. Nkiru Madubunyi, three children and grandchildren.