In a sector where restoring production is as much about precision as perseverance, Odira Okenwa has emerged as one of the defining figures shaping Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas operations. This year, City People Magazine honoured him with its prestigious 2022 Outstanding Talent in STEM Award, celebrating his leadership in production optimisation, brownfield management, and research-driven recovery strategies that continue to redefine standards in petroleum operations.
The annual City People Industry Awards remain one of Nigeria’s most credible platforms for recognising professional excellence. Each year, the programme celebrates individuals whose work demonstrates innovation, measurable impact, and leadership rooted in integrity. The 2022 edition drew over 100,000 nominations from across the nation and the diaspora, reflecting the scale and prestige of the recognition. Okenwa’s selection as winner in the oil and gas category was the result of a rigorous vetting process led by City People’s editorial board and external assessors, who weighed nominees based on technical contribution, sustainability, and operational results.
City People’s senior editor, Wale Lawal, described the board’s choice as a unanimous one. “This award is about recognising professionals who combine technical depth with measurable impact,” he said. “Odira has delivered results at scale, through foresight, expertise, and disciplined execution.”
He further explained, “What distinguishes Odira Okenwa is his ability to translate petroleum engineering theory into results that restore production, improve cost efficiency, and enhance operational safety. His record speaks to what is possible when expertise meets discipline.”
For Okenwa, the recognition is both humbling and symbolic. “Restoring production is never just about a wellhead,” he said after receiving the award. “It’s about restoring livelihoods, honouring commitments to partners, and protecting the people who make operations possible. My focus has always been to deliver interventions that are safe, measurable, and repeatable.”
Those words reflect the philosophy behind a career built on persistence, balance, and a deep respect for process. A Petroleum Engineering graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Okenwa joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 2012 and has since grown into one of the corporation’s most trusted hands in brownfield optimisation and joint-venture asset management. His decade-long track record tells a story of technical depth matched by managerial prudence, a rare blend in an industry where speed, scale, and safety must constantly align.
Within NNPC, Okenwa has coordinated some of the corporation’s most impactful well-intervention campaigns, guiding teams that have restored dormant wells to production and prolonged the life of mature fields. His efforts in pilot polymer projects for water shut-off herald an era of measurable improvements in recovery efficiency, adding new barrels from fields long considered marginal. Colleagues describe his approach as meticulous, a fusion of field data, engineering insight, and stakeholder coordination.
Yet, his impact extends far beyond field operations. Okenwa’s influence is equally felt in the governance and financial management of oil assets. He has overseen the development of annual work programmes and budgets for joint-venture operations worth tens of millions of dollars, ensuring that expenditure aligns strictly with performance objectives. Through disciplined cost tracking and resource optimisation, he has delivered year-on-year operational savings, even under volatile market conditions.
Behind these achievements lies an uncompromising commitment to safety and sustainability. Field teams under his supervision have maintained a record of zero lost-time incidents (LTI), a feat that underscores his insistence that operational success and worker safety are inseparable. Okenwa also advocates for business continuity planning, ensuring that production remains stable during community disruptions or logistical challenges, an increasingly vital competency in Nigeria’s oil-rich but complex terrain.
His research credentials further set him apart. Okenwa co-authored the widely referenced Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) paper “Production Restoration Following Long-Term Community Crisis – A Case Study of Well X in ABC Field, Onshore Nigeria” (SPE-212039-MS), which presents a practical roadmap for restoring production after extended shutdowns. The study integrates engineering precision with social sensitivity, demonstrating how stakeholder engagement, disciplined planning, and adaptive intervention can bring wells back online safely and sustainably.
Professionally, Okenwa remains deeply engaged in the structures that uphold engineering standards. He is a certified member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and an active participant in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). He also holds advanced well-control certification from the International Well Control Forum (IWCF) and is proficient in hydrocarbon accounting systems, including Axis, where he serves as a recognised super-user. These affiliations ensure that his work is continually informed by global best practices and technological trends.
Between 2018 and 2022, Okenwa’s professional visibility grew rapidly as his name became synonymous with reliable field performance and disciplined operations. He participated in multiple industry conferences and technical symposia, including the SPE Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition, where he contributed to discussions on well optimisation and production analytics. Peers describe him as a “bridge between data and field execution,” a professional who combines analytical acumen with a hands-on understanding of Nigeria’s oilfield realities.
The City People award marks a high point in a decade of steady excellence. According to City People’s citation, “Odira K. Okenwa represents the new face of operational leadership in Nigeria’s upstream energy sector. His career is proof that integrity, data, and discipline can redefine what success looks like in petroleum engineering.”
For Okenwa, however, the recognition is not a destination but a reminder. “Excellence is not about perfection; it’s about consistency,” he said. “Every well we restore, every system we improve, contributes to something larger, the reliability of our national energy supply and the sustainability of our industry.”
As Nigeria’s oil and gas sector faces renewed calls for efficiency, transparency, and diversification, professionals like Okenwa are quietly shaping the path forward. His work exemplifies a model of leadership grounded in evidence, accountability, and community awareness. In an era where the industry is challenged by declining reserves, ageing infrastructure, and environmental expectations, his blend of technical competence and social responsibility offers a template for the future.
City People’s recognition of Odira Okenwa is therefore more than a personal accolade; it is a statement about what the nation’s energy leadership must look like, results-oriented, ethically grounded, and relentlessly focused on impact. His story underscores a truth often lost in the rush for production numbers: that resilience in oil and gas is not built on machinery alone, but on people who combine science with conscience.
In honouring him with the 2022 Outstanding Talent in STEM Award, City People Magazine acknowledges not just his achievements, but the philosophy that drives them, one rooted in discipline, innovation, and an unwavering belief that excellence, when done right, sustains both barrels and trust.
