By Ishola Balogun
Engr. Kayode Sote is from Itunwase ruling house in Ijebu-Ode.
The Mechanical Engineering University of Lagos graduate  and accomplished technocrat has worked in many multinational companies in Nigeria and abroad: Total, Solar Turbines/ CEC and Mobil.  His working and professional experience cover petroleum exploration/production and marketing.

Engr Sote, the CEO of Lubeservices Associates,  is also a consultant to the independent marketers in Nigeria, an indigenous Consultant in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry in Nigeria.  As a leading authority in lubrication engineering, he has published several books on petroleum industry, conducted over 100 training programmes, workshops and seminars, trained over 1200 engineers among other key personnel in Nigeria.
He speaks about his life and times.

Engr. Kayode Sote

Often times, I tell people that I am the oldest Nigerian in the Oil and Gas industry.  Some will be quick to ask me ‘how old I am’ and my answer usually is that – right from primary school, I have been in the industry.  When I was a little boy, my father owned a big petrol station in Ijebu-Ode and I was actively involved in the running of the business without knowing what God had in stock for me. So, I have been in the business since the 60s.

I worked as a production supervisor in Shell Port-Harcourt, from there, I moved to Total Plc, thereafter I moved to Mobil. Based on my experience in the industry, I started manufacturing machine oil.  The product was doing well, competing favourably with products in other parts of the world. At a time, it was controlling more than 80 per cent of the market share.  If you go to Idumota then, they called me Mr. Quality. The product at a time suddenly disappeared from the market as a result of dwindling economy.

My strength in the industry could be seen from the area of information gathering and dissemination and fortunately, I have been able to impact that onto the younger ones in the industry.  I am the first Nigeria to set up a consultancy firm in the downstream sector of oil and gas industry. Without being immodest, that has opened a quantum of opportunities for the younger ones.

I have also written five books on oil and gas.  My first book was in 1993 called “Beyond the Crude Oil and Gas Reserves” telling the government to look beyond the crude oil. It is only reasonable that we plan on what we get from the sector to ensure our future, I mean we’ve got to look beyond the oil.  The Niger Delta situation is pitiable.  I lived and worked in that region.

The abject poverty in that area is worrisome.  As a Nigerian, my take is that the problem of Niger Delta is not for the Niger Deltans alone, it is the problem of Nigeria. This is what led to the breakdown of law and order.

I have also written other four books. I think in this country, people dabble into one business or the other without being adequately prepared in terms of information.

You see, I know the cheapest way to make money, but that is not my own calling.  My calling is to add value to the society through information gathering and dissemination.  My books:  Beyond the Crude Oil and Gas Reserves” (a 1,026 page compendium); “World Oil and Gas Source Book”; “Predictive Maintenance and Industrial Lubrication”;

“Lubrication Review”; “Risk Management in Petroleum Industry”; “Petroleum Business in Nigeria” a 1,204 page which is the latest one  are all compendia in the oil and gas industry.  These are sources of information that we can use to grow the economy and people can invest.  I have trained over 1200 Nigerian engineers. This is my own contribution.

People come even from the academia to gather information.  One thing about the oil and gas industry is that it is secretive. They don’t want you to know exactly what is happening in the industry and when you don’t have information, you can’t go into the business.  But because of my books and the workshops I have held overtime, people have ventured into the business. I’ve helped people to make millions.

People have asked me severally why am I not in the academic, considering my intellectual contribution, but honestly, I don’t know why I am not there too but I know it is a natural endowment.  Whatever you do that comes to you naturally is a natural endowment and you should allow it to flourish.  What I do is also not too far from academic.  I run open programme, I’ve trained hundreds of people.
I have a wonderful family.
My children have also emulated the writing ability.  I surprised my daughter recently when she wedded.  I compiled and printed all the stories she had written when she was young and used it as part of her gift to guests on her wedding day recently.  She was in her honey moon when some of her friends called her that they needed a copy of her book.  She was amazed and happy when she saw a copy of her book. That is the way to develop the younger ones.

I did the same for my son who is a medical doctor.  The book, entitled: “Ageing gracefully Through Quality Food and Healthy Living”.” “I am not a social person.  If you invite me to a party, I’ll attend because I expect that you reciprocate that gesture, but I don’t take it as a habit.  It is a matter of principle; I rather want to relax with my books.

My interest on books cut across all areas and I buy books from even under the bridge in Ojuelegba, Oshodi and places like that.  You see, the idea is that you don’t jettison what other people write.  You will learn one thing or the other from it. I also spend my leisure time looking at some art collections.  I like them because they give me good natural feelings.

I collect art works from all parts of the world, it gives me pleasure that I don’t find in doing other things.  In my house in Ijebu-Ode, there is a beautiful artefact that welcomes you to the house with the inscription: Galleria Casablanca. The first thing you will see is the gallery where I put art works.

I also go on horse riding.  My great grandfather was famous for horse-riding and up till today, my family takes horse riding very seriously especially during the Ojude-Oba festival.  The records are there, you can check it out. So, I enjoy going on horse-riding even for relaxation.

Very soon, I will be going back to Ijebu-Ode to settle down and riding horse.