UNIABUJA Lecturer Aladeitan Becomes NIPetE’s 6th Nat’l Chairman

…promises strategic repositioning, institutional relevance

Raheem Akingbolu

The Nigerian Institution of Petroleum Engineers (NIPetE) has inaugurated Engr. Yetunde Aladeitan as its sixth National Chairman, alongside a new executive committee, with a charge to strengthen professionalism, industry collaboration and the development of Nigeria’s engineering capacity.

The inauguration was held on Saturday at the National Engineering Centre, with representatives of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), policymakers, academics and other professional bodies in attendance.

In her inaugural address, Aladeitan described her election as a strategic opportunity to reposition NIPetE and establish a new era of professionalism and institutional relevance.

She said the past six months had been spent rebuilding the institution’s presence, including courtesy visits to major oil and gas companies aimed at positioning NIPetE as a partner for technical knowledge-sharing and local capacity development.

Looking ahead, Aladeitan said the next 18 months would focus on deeper engagement with government agencies, regulators and operating companies, including closer collaboration with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and international professional bodies.

She announced plans for a policy advisory council to produce position papers on the Petroleum Industry Act, fiscal reforms and value-chain optimization, as well as an expanded training model featuring formal mentorship and internship schemes linking young engineers with industry leaders.

Aladeitan, who also lectures at the University of Abuja, called for partnership and dedication to advancing the profession and the nation.

NSE President Engr. Ali Alimasuya Rabiu, represented by Deputy President Engr. Valerie Ifueko Agberagba, said the chairmanship demands strategic insight, commitment and the ability to mobilize members toward shared goals.

Alimasuya used the occasion to address the emergence of the newly formed Nigerian Institution of Petroleum and Gas Engineers (NIPETG), stating that its naming and identity risked confusion with the NIPetE, established in 1995.

He said the NSE Secretariat had issued a public disclaimer distinguishing the two bodies, describing the move not as hostility toward any individual or group but as a defense of institutional order and public trust.

He affirmed that recognized professional institutions must be protected from ambiguity or unauthorized proliferation, and pledged that the NSE would continue acting firmly and in accordance with due process.

Meanwhile, the Guest speaker, Engr. Chichi Emenike, Acting Managing Director and Gas Asset Manager at Neconde Energy Ltd, said Nigeria’s target of three million barrels per day represents far more than production figures, it reflects jobs, foreign exchange, government revenue and energy security. She argued that success should be measured not by output alone but by the prosperity generated from it.

Nigeria, she said, has the ambition, resources and talent required; what remains is strengthening the connection between assets, capability and integrity, underpinned by policy consistency. She called on the sector to build competitive Nigerian engineering firms capable of exporting expertise across Africa.

In his address of welcome, NIPetE Caretaker Committee Chairman Engr. Joe Nwakwue urged the new chairman to lead with unity, inclusiveness, integrity and purpose, describing the role as a call to service that should place institutional interest above personal considerations.

Engr. Effiong Okon delivered the keynote address, titled “Assets, Talent, and Integrity: Engineering Nigeria’s 3 Million bpd Target.”

Goodwill messages were also delivered by Professor Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, and Engr. Segun Kuteyi, Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Chevron Nigeria’s Mid-Africa Region, among others.