Nigeria’s energy industry is built on the work of people making important decisions, leading complex operations, building businesses and finding solutions to some of the sector’s biggest challenges. And across this industry, women are taking on influential roles, breaking new ground and helping shape what comes next.
At the WIEN Gala & Awards 2026, the Women in Energy Network (WIEN) brought these contributions into focus, recognising 12 women whose work spans power, oil and gas, renewable energy, engineering, entrepreneurship and energy policy. The ceremony, held on November 11 at the Metropolitan Club in Lagos, formed part of WIEN’s six-year milestone celebration.
The evening also marked an important step in the push for greater inclusion across the sector. In collaboration with KPMG, WIEN officially launched its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Benchmark Report for the energy industry. Designed to move conversations about inclusion towards measurable accountability, the report provides data and actionable insights on female representation, leadership pathways and workplace inclusion across the energy value chain.
It was a night that celebrated the women already making a difference while drawing attention to the work still needed to ensure more women can participate, lead and thrive in the industry.
Here are 12 of the women recognised at the WIEN Gala & Awards 2026.
1. Folake Soetan
WIEN Woman of the Year | Outstanding Woman in Power
Folake Soetan has built a career across some of the most influential areas of Nigeria’s energy industry. As the former CEO of Ikeja Electric, she played a significant role in the power sector, while her earlier work helped drive the downstream expansion of Sahara Group across West Africa. Beyond her executive career, she mentors women in STEM and serves on the Board of the Women in Energy Network. At the 2026 WIEN Gala & Awards, she received the Outstanding Woman in Power award and was named WIEN Woman of the Year.
2. Bassey Adie
Female Energy Entrepreneur of the Year | Outstanding Woman in Midstream, Gas & Energy Logistics
Bassey Adie is building a strong presence in the marine and energy logistics space through Loyz Marine Services, where she serves as Managing Director and CEO. The company provides offshore support services with a focus on safety, compliance and technology, handling the technically demanding operations that keep parts of the energy industry moving. Drawing on experience in business development across leading marine and energy firms, she has grown Loyz into a notable player in its field. Her work earned her two recognitions at the gala: Female Energy Entrepreneur of the Year and Outstanding Woman in Midstream, Gas & Energy Logistics.
3. Caroline Eboumbou
Outstanding Woman in Renewable Energy
For Caroline Eboumbou, expanding access to reliable and sustainable electricity is central to the future of energy. As CEO of All On, she works at the intersection of impact investment and project finance, supporting solutions that bring affordable power to underserved communities across Nigeria and Africa. Her career has included work with the African Development Bank, The Rockefeller Foundation and private equity, giving her experience across development finance and investment. She was recognised as Outstanding Woman in Renewable Energy.
4. Funmi Ogbue
STEM Advocate for Girls in Energy
Funmi Ogbue has spent much of her career working in technically demanding areas of the energy sector while creating opportunities for more women to follow similar paths. She is the co-founder of the Women in Energy Network and CEO of Zigma Limited, an engineering and construction company. Her professional experience also includes roles with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo). In recognition of her work to encourage the next generation of women in the industry, she received the STEM Advocate for Girls in Energy award.
5. Judith Ikwuwunna
Emerging Woman in Energy (Rising Star)
Working at the intersection of social performance and community relations, Judith Ikwuwunna brings an important perspective to the development of major energy projects. At SNEPCo, her work has included the transition relating to the Petroleum Industry Act and the development of host community development trusts for major oil and gas projects. These responsibilities place her within conversations about how energy operations engage with the communities around them. Her contributions earned her the Emerging Woman in Energy (Rising Star) award.
6. Maryamu Idris
Outstanding Woman in Downstream (Refining, Distribution & Retail)
Maryamu Idris operates at the intersection of Nigeria’s petroleum industry and the global oil market. A petroleum economist, she leads NNPC Trading Limited and serves as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), where she also sits on the OPEC Economic Commission Board. Her work has involved driving transparency reforms and contributing to decisions that shape global oil market conversations. She received the Outstanding Woman in Downstream (Refining, Distribution & Retail) award.
7. Moroti Adeyinka Adedoyin
Lifetime Achievement (Woman in Energy)
With more than two decades of experience across the petroleum value chain, Moroti Adeyinka Adedoyin has built a career defined by industry leadership and advocacy. She is an Executive Director at Sahara Group and Chairman of the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), where she has been involved in conversations around the growth and sustainability of the downstream sector. She also mentors emerging industry leaders, helping prepare the next generation for positions of influence. Her longstanding contributions were recognised with the Lifetime Achievement (Woman in Energy) award.
8. Audrey Joe-Ezigbo
Outstanding Woman and Special WIEN Honouree
Audrey Joe-Ezigbo has made her mark as an entrepreneur and leader in Nigeria’s gas industry. She is the Deputy Managing Director of Falcon Corporation and was the first woman to serve as President of the Nigerian Gas Association. Through her work, she has remained an advocate for the development of the midstream and downstream sectors, bringing attention to the opportunities and challenges shaping the industry. At the gala, she was recognised as an Outstanding Woman and honoured as a Special WIEN Honouree.
9. Dr. Ibilola Amao
Outstanding Woman and Special WIEN Honouree
An engineer and STEM entrepreneur, Dr. Ibilola Amao has built a career around strengthening Africa’s technological and industrial capacity. As Principal Consultant of Lonadek Global Services, she works to close technology gaps and develop local capabilities across the continent. Her advocacy also focuses on creating more opportunities for young people and women to participate in science, technology and engineering. WIEN recognised her as an Outstanding Woman and honoured her as a Special WIEN Honouree.
10. Elohor Aiboni
Outstanding Woman in Upstream (Exploration & Production) | Outstanding Woman and Special WIEN Honouree
Elohor Aiboni’s career is a significant chapter in the story of women’s leadership in Nigeria’s upstream energy industry. A chemical engineer, she became the first woman to serve as Managing Director of SNEPCo and Country Chair and Executive Vice President of Shell EP Africa. She began her career as a trainee production engineer and, over more than two decades, rose through the industry to lead the award-winning Bonga asset. Her leadership has covered the growth, safety and operational performance of some of Nigeria’s most complex deepwater assets. In addition to receiving the Outstanding Woman in Upstream (Exploration & Production) award, she was recognised as an Outstanding Woman and honoured as a Special WIEN Honouree.
11. Olu Verheijen
Outstanding Woman and Special WIEN Honouree
Olu Verheijen brings an energy-sector perspective to some of the highest levels of government decision-making. An energy strategist, she serves as Special Adviser to the President on Energy, where she works on policy frameworks, Nigeria’s energy transition and the commercial investments needed to move the sector forward. Her role places her at the centre of conversations about the country’s energy priorities and long-term direction. She was recognised as an Outstanding Woman and honoured as a Special WIEN Honouree.
12. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan
Outstanding Woman and Special WIEN Honouree
As Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan holds a key position in the regulation and development of Nigeria’s upstream sector. She was a key architect of the Petroleum Industry Act, legislation that reshaped the framework governing the country’s petroleum industry. In her current role, she is helping shape the regulatory environment, with a focus on strengthening the sector and restoring investor confidence. WIEN recognised her as an Outstanding Woman and honoured her as a Special WIEN Honouree.
Recognising Achievement and Measuring Progress
The 12 women recognised at the WIEN Gala & Awards 2026 represent different career paths and areas of expertise, but their work reflects the breadth of women’s contributions to Nigeria’s energy industry. From leading power companies and building energy businesses to shaping national policy, advancing renewable energy and strengthening technical capacity, they are helping influence the sector at multiple levels.
The launch of the WIEN Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Benchmark Report added another dimension to the evening. Developed in collaboration with KPMG, the report is intended to provide the industry with a clearer picture of female representation, leadership pathways and workplace inclusion, alongside insights that can help organisations identify gaps and track progress.
Recognition matters, but so does the ability to measure whether the industry is creating more room for women to advance. With the awards and the benchmark launch, WIEN brought both conversations into the same room: celebrating the women making an impact today and encouraging the wider industry to take greater responsibility for the opportunities available to those coming next.
The work of building a more inclusive energy industry continues, and these women are part of the story shaping its future.
