The Ibeno Traditional Rulers Council (TRC) has congratulated Engr. Effiong Okon, on his assumption of office as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Seplat Energy Plc, describing his appointment as significant to Ibeno and Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking in his palace on Sunday, the Paramount Ruler of Ibeno, Akwaha Owong ( Prof.) Effiong Archianga said, Engr. Okon’s appointment is a significant development for the people of Ibeno, and being an illustrious son of Akwa Ibom State, now heading the company that acquired major oil and gas assets formerly operated by Exxon-Mobil, including the Qua Iboe Terminal situated in Ibeno LGA.

The Paramount Ruler noted that Seplat Energy’s acquisition of the former Exxon-Mobil/MPNU assets has made the company an important corporate partner in Ibeno, stressing that Engr. Okon’s emergence provides an opportunity to begin a new chapter in the relationship between Seplat Energy and Ibeno LGA which is it host community in Akwa Ibom State.

He urged Seplat Plc’s helmsman to make host community relations as a major priority of his administration, emphasizing that sustainable oil and gas operations require mutual trust, respect, transparency and meaningful engagement with communities hosting the company’s facilities.

The Paramount Ruler called for stronger engagement with Ibeno traditional institutions and community leadership, increased employment and training opportunities for qualified indigenes, sustainable community development initiatives, effective grievance-resolution mechanisms and full compliance with statutory obligations to host communities.

He also stressed that, host communities should not be viewed merely as locations where oil and gas operations takes place, but as key stakeholders and partners in the sustainable development of the industry.

The Ibeno Traditional Rulers Council expressed confidence that Engr. Okon’s extensive technical and managerial experience, combined with his Akwa Ibom roots, places him in a unique position to understand the expectations of the people and foster a stronger relationship between Seplat Energy and Ibeno LGA.

The new CEO, Engr. Effiong Okon is a veteran energy executive with more than 35 years of experience across the oil, gas, power and energy sectors.

The Seplat Energy Board appointed him Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director in June 2026, and he assumed office on August 1, 2026, succeeding Roger Brown.

Okon’s career began in 1992 when he joined Shell as a Petroleum Reservoir Engineer. During 26-year career with the multinational, he held a succession of senior technical and executive positions in Nigeria, Africa, Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

His Shell assignments included; Chief Reservoir Engineer, General Manager of Offshore Assets, General Manager of Deepwater Production in Nigeria, Deputy Vice President Technical and Manager of the North Field Wells and Reservoir in Qatar, as well as Vice President of Cost Leadership and Continuous Improvement in the Netherlands.

He also played significant roles in major international energy projects, including the commissioning, start-up and early production phases of Qatar Shell’s Pearl GTL project and Qatar Gas LNG Trains 7 and 8.

The new helmsman’s experience covers reservoir management, field development, offshore and deep water operations, project execution, production, asset optimisation, operational excellence and organisational transformation.

Okon joined Seplat Energy in 2018 as Executive/Operations Director, where he was responsible for operational performance and championed initiatives aimed at improving production efficiency, asset reliability and safety.

In July 2022, he became Director of New Energy, where he was involved in expanding Seplat’s midstream gas and power businesses and advancing the company’s energy-transition strategy.

He was subsequently appointed Managing Director of ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited (AGPC), a joint venture between Seplat Energy and NNPC Limited. Under his leadership, the 300 million standard cubic feet per day ANOH Gas Processing Plant achieved first gas in January 2026, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s domestic gas development.

Engr. Okon is an alumnus of the University of Benin, IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland, and Harvard Business School, Boston, United States. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and a Fellow of the Energy Institute, United Kingdom (FEI).

He is also a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

His appointment comes at an important period for Seplat Energy, following the company’s transformational acquisition of MPNU and its expanded offshore operations, including the Qua Iboe Terminal.

The acquisition made Seplat operator of the relevant shallow-water assets on behalf of the NNPC/Seplat joint venture and significantly expanded its production and export infrastructure.

The Ibeno Traditional Rulers Council therefore, congratulated the new CEO and wished him a successful and impactful tenure, while expressing its readiness to engage constructively with his administration in pursuit of peace, operational stability, community development and shared prosperity.

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