The Chief Executive Officer of Falcon Corporation Limited, Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, has urged the Nigerian energy sector to strengthen its commitment to appointing women to senior leadership roles. Speaking during International Women’s Day 2026, she specifically highlighted the need for greater representation across the gas value chain. She described the increasing number of female executives as a vital shift in a sector that has historically been led by men.
The CEO pointed to several significant appointments as evidence of progress at the start of this decade. These include Olu Arowolo Verheijen, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, and Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan, the newly confirmed head of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). Joe-Ezigbo noted that such appointments reflect a maturing industry where boards and shareholders are prioritising merit and vision over gender.
Other prominent figures celebrated in her remarks include Folake Soetan of Ikeja Electric and Jennifer Adighije of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company. She also cited leadership from Wola Joseph-Condotti at Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Elozino Olaniyan at Midwestern Oil & Gas. Upstream veterans Catherine Uju Ifejika and Seinye Lulu-Briggs were also mentioned as key examples of female excellence in the field.
“Each of these appointments sends a powerful message beyond boardrooms and balance sheets,” Audrey said. “It signals to the world that Nigeria’s energy sector is prepared to compete on the strength of its full talent pool. It signals to investors that governance and leadership selection are becoming more merit-driven. And most importantly, it signals to the girl child that there is no part of the energy value chain that is beyond her reach, not the control room, not the trading desk, not the executive suite.”
Joe-Ezigbo argued that diversity must be a permanent feature of the industry as Nigeria expands its domestic gas infrastructure. She called for boards and investors to move beyond isolated milestones and instead focus on long-term succession planning.
“At Falcon, we see inclusion not as a campaign theme but as a governance principle,” she stated. “The progress we are witnessing across the sector should not be episodic. It should be sustained, measurable, and irreversible.”