Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company (AEEPCO), operator of the NNPC / Aiteo Joint Venture on OML 29 on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mr. Ewariezi Useh as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). Ewariezi will provide overall technical guidance to oil and gas exploration, production development, health, safety, security, and environmental activities of the group’s upstream business.
Ewariezi Useh assumes this position with a wealth of expertise spanning over 26 years from various areas of the Oil & Gas Industry. His experience ranges from oil and commodities trading (crude oil, derivatives & refined products), supply and distribution, petroleum retailing, shipping, jetty and terminal operations, depot and project management, amongst others.
Ewariezi joined Aiteo Group in 2013 and until this appointment, served as the Group Managing Director, Aiteo Downstream overseeing the entire downstream business of the Group and responsible for the effective running of the downstream companies (Aiteo Energy Resources Limited and Avidor Oil & Gas Company). Prior to joining the Aiteo Group, he was General Manager, Operations, African Petroleum Plc (now Ardova Plc.) up until 2010, where he oversaw the operations and growth of the company nationwide by strategically enhancing its growth and performance in the petroleum retail sector.
Ewariezi is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the University of Benin. He holds an MBA from the IESE Business School, University of Nevarra, Barcelona; Spain. He has trained at the College of Petroleum Studies, Oxford; IESE Business School Barcelona, Wharton Business School, Pennsylvania USA amongst others. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School; a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, the Energy Institute, London and also a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). Useh replaces the erstwhile Chief Operations Officer, Emmanuel Ukegbu, who retired from the company.