By Chris Paul
In the twilight of last week, Nigerian women in energy, oil and gas community celebrated Engr. Joanna Olutunmbi Maduka, one of the pioneering engineers, who shattered the glass ceiling and made great strides in the early days of the nation’s oil and gas industry.
It was the 80th birthday celebration, on May 6, of the first female engineer to break grounds in the hydrocarbon terrain in the country.
Noted for her distinguished and unique accomplishments and track record, Joanna Olutunmbi Maduka, is the first to attain several feats among the female gender of Nigerian engineers.
With a B.Sc. in applied physics in 1965, she passed the Graduateship Examination of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), (UK) in 1966 and earned an M.Sc. (Engineering) degree from Trinity College, Dublin in 1969.
She worked briefly in the media and later moved to engineering consultancy in 1970 she became a partner of Leccom Associates in 1975.
She founded Association of Professional Women Engineers Nigeria; Friends of the Environment (FOTE); was Chairperson, Better Life for Rural Women; Foundation Board Member, International Network of Women in Engineering & Science (INWES).
First female fellow and president Council for the regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), first female Vice President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers NSE; First Female President of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE).
Maduka also served on boards of several polytechnics & Universities across the nation.
First female governing board member of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and member of the founding executives of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas Company (NLNG), she played a major role in the facilitation of the full take-off of the company’s operations in Nigeria.
Maduka is the epitome of an energy woman closing energy gap and moving nations forward. In 2008, she was conferred with the national honour: Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR).
She is currently the Chairperson of the International Forum for Women in Energy OIL and Gas (WEOG).
