The 4th Annual Nigeria Petroleum Summit, (NIPS) kicked off on Sunday, 6^th June 2021. The summit which has gathered momentum globally, is a platform for Nigeria to engage both local and international stakeholders to effectively develop the oil and gas sector for economic growth.

The five-day conference featured a CEO roundtable with Mr. Huub Stokman, Chief Executive Officer of OVH Energy Marketing Limited (Oando licensee), to discuss the future of natural gas in Nigeria, the impact of COVID-19 and the effect of oil price crash on the downstream sector. 

Mr. Stokman commended the efforts of the organisers in bringing together industry stakeholders to share ideas on how to improve the energy sector. He stated that, “this is an ideal opportunity to bring together these experts to exchange ideas & opinions, to understand trends and the future of the industry”. He also stated the importance of the presence of the downstream oil and gas sector, explaining that whilst upstream is key for production, downstream is responsible for delivering products to customers or end users. Seamless integration between the two sectors is crucial.

He expressed optimism in the future of the gas industry, in his words, “this is the decade for gas exploration. Nigeria has the largest natural gas reserve in Africa, and the 9th largest in the world, so Nigeria can leverage its reserves to diversify and promote local growth and OVH Energy Marketing is best placed to deliver to the local market”.

In recent times, Nigeria has positioned itself strategically to become the foremost oil and gas investment destination, through ongoing strategic sectoral reforms and engagement with host communities. This year’s NIPS conference tagged “From Crisis to Opportunities: New Approaches to The Future of Hydrocarbons” continues to engage industry experts and investors on developing hedging strategies to combat prevailing sectoral challenges aimed at unlocking inherent value in the near future.

The summit’s overarching message of building the Nigerian oil and gas sector through the collaborative efforts of all relevant stakeholders through the exchange of new technologies and industry know-how cannot be overemphasized.

About OVH Energy 

Nigeria’s leading indigenous marketer of choice, OVH Energy Marketing (Oando Licensee), was recently awarded the Service Excellence Award at the 2021 International Lubricants Conference. The Service Excellence Award is given to organizations that deliver exceptional customer service and consistently impress and exceed customer expectations.

OVH Energy outclassed other companies nominated in the award category to win the coveted award owing to its history of performance, quality of service and successful innovations in the industry. Over the years, OVH Energy has affirmed its industry leadership by executing excellent services to customers, which has enhanced the quality of life in Nigeria and contributed to the operational efficiency of its customers whilst improving the nation’s economy.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Huub Stokman, while expressing his appreciation to the International Lubricant’s Conference committee, described the award as “a recognition that will inspire OVH Energy to sustain their outstanding service delivery”. Mr. Stokman enjoined operators in the country’s oil and gas sector to showcase the sector’s potential to relevant stakeholders.

He further reaffirmed the company’s commitment to offering exceptional services to all its customers. According to him, “OVH Energy will continue to provide consistent and exceptional services to all our customers. As Africa’s indigenous leading marketer, it is our responsibility to provide Nigerians with an enabling environment to thrive and provide trusted petroleum products and services for Nigerians. We are honoured to receive this award, which demonstrates OVH Energy’s ability to improve the lives of Nigerians through excellent customer services”.

The International Lubricant Conference’s committee organized the award to honour trailblazers in the Nigeria lubricants industry who are game-changers and are creating a positive impact and thus economic growth in the country. The committee comprises leading industry experts from across the world, with a cumulative of over 100 years of hardcore industry knowledge and experience. Panelists came from Nigeria, South Africa, Singapore and the UAE.

OVH Energy, the licensee of the Oando retail brand and Nigeria’s leading provider of trusted petroleum products and services, has announced its month-long giveaway to reward customers’ loyalty at select LPG Skid plants in various locations across Nigeria. The O-Gas lucky dip giveaway is a customer give back activation from the brand.

The activation, which is set to run from Monday, May 10, 2021, until Thursday, June 10, 2021, is open to all customers who refill up to a minimum of 3kg across select OVH Energy Skid plants. The 36 skid plants participating in the giveaway are located in Edo, Abuja, Jos, Ilorin, Ibadan, Lagos, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Benin, Onitsha, Enugu, Kano and Aba.

Speaking on the importance of rewarding customer loyalty, The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OVH Energy, Mr Huub Stokman, said “OVH Energy has grown as a company because of our loyal customers and this lucky dip promotion is one of the ways for us to appreciate them.

“As the sole licensee of the Oando retail brand in Nigeria, we are enriching the forecourt experience of our customers with standard and safety compliant LPG Skid plants and continue to ensure high-quality products and service delivery nationwide. We care about our customers, and as often as we can, we give back to them. We are looking forward to putting smiles on the faces of our customers and strengthening our relationship with them," he said.

OVH Energy continues to be one of the dominant players in the Nigerian LPG market and is committed to deepening its domestic usage by playing a strategic role in enhancing the LPG value chain in Nigeria, investing in varied initiatives to improve access to LPG and support quality and healthy living by providing access to clean energy.

About OVH Energy

OVH Energy is a leading indigenous marketer of choice and provider of trusted petroleum products and services in Nigeria. The organization's expertise spans the distribution of refined petroleum products for retail, commercial and industrial purposes. Its strong unrivalled heritage, drive to impact lives positively, and the influence of the shareholders – Helios Investments, an Africa-focused Nigerian firm; Vitol Group, a leading global supplier of petroleum products and the strong Oando retail brand – contributes to the brand's growing business success. Through its Oando retail brand, OVH Energy has enriched Nigeria's downstream sector and established an unparalleled supply footprint, distributing over 1 billion litres of refined petroleum products annually.

Q: Do you think women in Nigeria are given enough opportunities to grow?

Well, if opportunities are looked at in two ways: conducive environment, and freedom to grow, on the first, which is conducive environment, I would say not enough has been done across all sectors to enable women to fully participate. There are still many gender-biased roles not only pushed by men but also women. Secondly, on freedom to grow, I believe women in Nigeria, to a large extent, have less restrictions to speak up or go for what they want. In the end, the desire to grow is a personal decision and the force to drive it can only come from us. Shirley Chisholm, the first African- American Woman to be elected to US congress, said, and I quote: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring your folding chair”. Women need to make the move and not always sit back and wait to be recommended or appointed.

In summary, in Nigeria, we are not yet where we should be in terms of giving women the opportunities to grow but some progress has been made over the past few years. Women can grow more if we are more involved in creating the opportunities and taking the front seat in our empowerment.

Q: How would you describe the role of women in nation development in Nigeria?

I believe in the quote from Hilary Clinton, which says: “When women participate in the economy, everyone benefits”. You see, women have an innate ability to multi-task and give full attention to all tasks to elicit desired result. The more women are included in nation development, the more efficient and effective that process is.

I think that Nigeria will blossom economically and socially if we allow more women to participate. The reforms required need the women’s viewpoint to drive the changes we desperately need. A nation’s development needs the input of both competent men and women. The women should not be left out!

Q: Can you share some of the limiting gender stereotypes you have faced in your private sector career?

The typical limiting gender stereotypes I have faced in my career is that, you are seeing as being emotional. So a man can get upset at work and scold the team and/or protest about unsavory comments/situations, he is seen as a strong and objective leader. When a woman does the same, she is said to be emotional. This tends to keep women from voicing out objective criticisms and/or speaking out when situations demand that they do.

Q: How were you able to overcome such limiting gender stereotypes?

I always tend to mentally step back and ask myself if what I want to voice out makes sense -is it constructive and does it add value? If it does, I do speak out sometimes with the passion it requires. Other times, I am more subtle so as not to step on egos. Women should never make themselves victims, rather find a balance that allows them preserve their mental health and own their voice.

Q: Women all over the world, including Nigeria, face varied challenges such as socio-cultural limitations, workplace inequalities, among others. How has OVH Energy as a private company contributed to reverse the situation?

Yes, OVH Energy is very conscious about the gender balance in the workplace. Even though the percentage is still more skewed to men than women, the company has in place an equal gender employment policy that can see the ratio change as more competent women bring their ‘A’ game. The company‘s promotion at work is performance-based, thereby making sure that women can get to the very top of the organization if they put in their best. Both genders are celebrated and recognised across the usual national events such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, paternity and maternity leave, etc. We also have confidential and anonymous platforms to support any gender in reporting harassment or perceived biases of any kind.

Q: What is your take on the rising cases of sexual harassment and other inhuman treatments melted out to women especially in corporate environment? How are such social malaise affecting the Nigerian society?

Speaking from a corporate environment perspective, sexual harassment can only prevail if an organisation is not responsible enough to put in place platforms that would allow both genders to report and also impose strict sanctions for anyone found culpable. I believe it’s a lot easier to manage this within the corporate environment than in the wider society. Sexual harassment is becoming a pandemic in our society today and should be tackled quickly as it’s now escalating to more rape cases. Sexual harassment eats away at the victims’ mental health and will affect the society at large if not curtailed.

Q: What is your advice to young women out there?

My advice to young ladies is for them to develop themselves through acquiring skills, education, etc. Don’t leave your growth in anyone’s hands. Demand more from yourself so you can demand more from the society. Don’t accept to be a victim, don’t dwell on gender biases but focus on your aspirations and dreams. You are in charge!