INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY THE 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN ASSOCIATION OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATIONISTS (NAPE), MR. ELLIOT IBIE, FNAPE
Opening Remarks: I am grateful to the Almighty God for the opportunity given me to lead this prestigious Association for the next one year. I am humbled by the confidence reposed on me by the entire membership. I also want to thank the NAPE Board of Trustees, Advisory Council, Distinguished Fellows and Executive Committee, members of the 2022 Conference Planning Committee as well as all our distinguished members. I am also grateful for the opportunity and support given to me by my organization, Shell Nigeria, to take on this most prestigious task of leading this Association. I am also grateful for the support from my wife, Debra, as well as my children and other members of my family for the immense and steadfast support I have enjoyed from them through my stint as President-Elect leading up to my inauguration as NAPE’s 45th President.
2022 Conference: Our recent 40th Conference & Exhibition, which has the been dubbed the most successful NAPE Conference held in recent times, highlighted the collaboration and commitment with which members of the Conference Planning Committee faced their tasks and I remain indebted to all the fine men and women who worked literally round-the-clock to ensure a great ‘Ruby’ Conference.
Like many geoscientists before me, I remain positively excited about the growth of this Association. I remember vividly when I walked into the Eko Hotel & Suites during the 1993 Conference as a wet-behind-the-ears Chevron geologist and taking in all the nuggets from the various speeches and sessions as well as walking gingerly through the Exhibition Hall with the hope of snagging one or two souvenirs while looking wide-eyed at the various innovations from the oil and gas Industry. To have led the charge in planning a similar event 29 years later at the same venue was understandably as awe-inspiring as it was satisfying.
Plans for the next one year: As I take the reins of leadership of our great Association, the immediate focus will be on consolidating on the gains of our resilience in the past two years as well as charting new paths for the association. The vision for my Leadership is anchored firmly on three pillars: Growth, Responsibility & Collaboration.
On Growth, we will continue to leverage on organizing hybrid events as much as possible, explore the possibility of expanding our student and regional chapters, carry out a robust membership drive while updating our membership database, give our Secretariat a befitting facelift while improving our visibility with increased participation/advocacy on topical issues.
On Responsibility, NAPE will continue to support the career aspirations of our young and vibrant Young Professionals, undertake more social and fund-generating initiatives, and re-invigorate our Grants-In-Aid scholarship program.
On Collaboration, under my Leadership the Association plans an expanded industry focus, encouraging start-ups, support internships for NAPE students, encourage and sustain interest in geosciences and increase our collaborative activities with other relevant Associations.
I look forward to sitting with the Executive Committee of the Association in the next few days and start the process of actualizing these lofty aspirations.
I count on the support of the NAPE Leadership and membership for a more successful tenure.
Thank you and I wish you all the very best.
May God bless our great Association.
Elliot Ibie, FNAPE,
President