By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor

THE founder and chairman/CEO of Oilserv Group, Engr. Emeka Okwuosa is a seasoned technocrat who has made lasting contributions, capable of enhancing energy transition in Nigeria and other African nations. The footprints were first made in Europe, North Africa, West Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, Central Africa, and South East Asia, where he had worked at different times for Schlumberger, a major oil and gas servicing company. They became even more visible when he established Oilserv Limited, which started operations in 1995 with a specialisation in engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning, EPCIC, project management, maintenance, and rehabilitation of pipelines and other facilities.

Engr. Okwuosa and his highly qualified and experienced engineers, technicians, and other support personnel provided total quality services, TQS, to many clients, including Shell Nigeria and the Nigerian LNG Limited. Under his leadership, the company, which also operates in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, the Benin Republic, and Togo, has made giant strides in the area of gas development, involving the design, construction, and maintenance of pipelines to deliver gas, cleaner fuel to major industries and other consumers nationwide in line with Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan.

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Engr. Okwuosa has led the company to complete many projects, including the East-West Gas Pipeline Project popularly known as OB3 Project. He is currently driving the $2.8 billion Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, pipeline, which forms phase one of the Trans-Nigeria Gas Pipeline, TNGP, project that would deliver gas to the northern states, Morocco, and Europe, thus assisting to provide a clean energy alternative to businesses while generating substantial foreign exchange for the nation. As an advocate of Nigerian content, Engr Okwuosa made significant input into the making of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010 and its implementation. This was fuelled by his deep conviction that it would lead to empowering indigenous companies to make significant contributions toward the sustainable development of the industry and economy.

Engr Okwuosa has created employment, empowerment, and other opportunities for Nigerians and other nationals through his companies (members of the Oilserv Group): Oilserv Limited, Frazimex Engineering Limited, FrazPower Limited, FrazOil E & P Limited, and Ekcel Farms Limited. He has also, through the Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation, made several corporate social responsibility, CSR, contributions in the areas of education, road, erosion control, and provision of potable water and electricity. The foundation has completed a multi-billion naira modern specialist hospital in Oraifite, Anambra State (Dame Nneka Okwuosa Medical Centre) and a four-floor administration/classroom block at the Dame Irene Nneka Okwuosa Memorial convent, Oraifite in honour of his late mother.

The well-equipped hospital has allowed Nigerians and others to receive medical treatment in-country. Recently, the annual medical outreach sponsored by Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation completed the 2022 medical interventions with 24 heart surgeries conducted on 23 desperate Nigerians who were given back their lives in one of the most sophisticated medical procedures in Nigerian history.

The free surgeries, medical consultations, supply of drugs and sundry consumables to ward patients and outpatients were conducted by personnel of the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital with additional support from 45 medical experts coming from the United States and Sweden for highly specialized operations. The beneficiaries of the heart operations who were chosen patients from nine states of the federation had approached the hospital with appeals for assistance; and Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation intervened with the sponsorship of the procedures which saw the deployment of the up-to-the-minute facilities at the medical centre to desired utilization.

Apart from the 24 open-heart surgeries which were afforded the beneficiaries free of charge, the team of medical experts from Nigeria and Europe also carried out cardiac catheterizations on 12 patients and a Pacemaker Insertion on another patient. This constituted a significant feat that has never been recorded in the history of Nigeria and Africa considering that Nigeria does only 50 in a year but Okwuosa and his team did 24 in 10 days for free. Also, free medical consultation and supply of drugs were afforded to an additional 348 beneficiaries in the outpatient outreach, which concluded on November 10, 2022, in the Oraifite council area of Anambra State.

To the applause and credit of the medical team members who were flown into the country ahead of the exercise, all the cardiac interventions were successfully conducted in record time, minimizing complications associated with protracted operating procedures.

Indeed, the giant strides of this great patriot, philanthropist, industry leader, Knight of St. Christopher, KSC, of the Anglican Communion, and 1982 graduate of electronics and electrical engineering at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state are very clearly outstanding.

Therefore, Engr Okwuosa, a frontline member of many professional bodies, especially the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE; Society of Professional Well Log Analysts, SPWLA, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN; Pipeline Professional Association of Nigeria, PLAN; Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE; Nigerian Gas Association, NGA, and Institute of Directors, IOD; is eminently qualified to win the 2022 Vanguard Energy Icon of the Year award.