By Ndubuisi Michael Obineme
Lagos, Nigeria – Bayo Ojulari, the outgoing Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) has bid a farewell message to Shell following the appointment of Elohor Aiboni, the First-Ever Female Managing Director of Shell Nigeria.
Bayo who will be retiring from his position as SNEPCO’s Managing Director effective July 31 2021, has been an exceptional leader with over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, who served in Nigeria, Europe, and the Middle East in Process Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Development, Production Engineering and HSE management roles.
In an interview with our correspondent at the side-line of the SAIPEC 2021, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to the entire team at Shell, adding that he received great support from the Shell group and colleagues which enables him to develop his technical and managerial capacity during his operational journey at Shell Companies in Nigeria.
He noted working with Shell encourages him and his team on the responsibilities to continue holding onto the values and principles that positions the employees to succeed and continue to be value-adding in their respective areas of work.
He acknowledged that the opportunity given to him to become the Managing Director enabled him to unleash the talent of SNEPCo and to inspire the younger people to move forward.
“They have contributed to operational excellence and it is everybody in the team. So, creating a platform that allows my staff, colleagues, and contractors to express their full capacity, and seeing future leaders grow within and outside the industry, excite and inspire me.
“The privilege to lead transformation initiatives that have generated major impacts, in planning and strategy, in business level transformation. Leading the drive towards Well Reservoir and Facility Management (WRFM) between 2005 and 2006, in Nigeria, and the major transformation while on international assignment in PDO Oman, that generated a 50% reduction in life cycle cost, were key landmarks for my career.
“My passion has always been to contribute to the development of Nigeria; Nigerians are my passion.
Speaking about his working experience at SNEPCO, Bayo affirmed that the Bonga Deepwater project has been a major inspiration towards his operational excellence at Shell, noting that the Bonga FPSO is a flagship project in Nigeria and is one of the largest FPSOs in the world.
He explained, “At my resumption as Managing Director of SNEPCo, the company’s development funnel was virtually empty. So, I concentrated my efforts on creating opportunities, motivating people to see how we can revive the Bonga South West Aparo (BSWA) project, working with people to ensure the project became cost-effective, building partnerships with Houston and Brazil and ensuring stakeholders alignment.
“I also focused attention on Bonga North which had been sub-economic. We worked to reduce the development cost to make it economically right through the tie back to the Bonga Main, while leveraging global expertise to prove that we can extend the life of the asset for another 10 years in situ, without dry-docking, converting the sleeping asset to a great giant.
“Today, the story of BSWA and Bonga North has changed, with prospects for generating value for Shell, Nigeria and co-ventures with a lot of Nigerian Content opportunities.
“I am glad to be contributing my quota towards growing local content; supporting Nigerian Contractors to close capacity gaps while amplifying their strengths in other to showcase their capacities.
“In 2016, Bonga won the Deepwater Asset of The Year Award. I am always delighted that an asset operated in Nigeria by Nigerians competes favourably with global standards.
“It is a great pleasure that the world acknowledges Nigerians’ global competitiveness and operation of an asset to a world-class standard.
“Bonga FPSO to be the best FPSO run globally. We did it in 2016 and we can do it again. The talent and structure are all there.
“I am thanking all my colleagues in Shell for their support all through my years in Shell and for inspiring me to be at my best for most of my time in Shell.
“SNEPCo should sustain the One integrated team mindset effort, the One family mindset, care for people, pride in professional excellence, empowerment of leaders at all levels, giving them a voice so that they feel proud of all that they do,” he concluded.
Bayo Ojulari was appointed Managing Director Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) in November 2015, to provide oversight and leadership to Shell’s offshore business in Nigeria.
He is a confirmed speaker at the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) 2021, where he will be shedding more light on the dynamics in the oil and gas industry in Sub-Saharan Africa, as the industry strives for a low carbon future.