The inaugural edition of SPE Africa's Beyond the Borders (BtB) program was held 3–6 August 2025 during the 2025 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) in Lagos. The theme, “Cross-Border Collaboration: Harnessing Africa Young Professionals’ Potential for a Resilient and Future-Proof Energy Industry,” featured a well-curated series of activities aimed at young professionals' (YP) development and networking—the two key pillars of the SPE BtB initiative.
BtB Africa consisted of YPs from 11 SPE sections within Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Chad, and Cameroon forging collaboration and innovation beyond geographical limits. The event served as an awakening of YP collaboration across Africa’s energy landscape.
The event included knowledge exchange, cultural immersion, industry engagement, leadership development, and professional growth, laying a new foundation for Africa’s energy future. The diverse lineup of activities and engagements allowed the participants to engage with experienced professionals and their peers, forging the cultivation of African solutions to global energy challenges.
Participants attended BtB Africa with high hopes for meaningful connections, robust learning, and a chance to shape the future of energy in Africa. The program’s theme and itinerary set the tone for an immersive and boundary-breaking experience. The young leaders anticipated opportunities to engage in technical and leadership discussions, develop soft skills, and understand the energy industry through a truly pan-African lens. The expectation was clear: to foster a network where collaboration transcends borders and sets the stage for collective progress.
The 2025 SPE Africa BtB began with a networking event at Jakande Tinubu Park, Lagos, with YPs networking across geographical barriers. Conversations flowed, music played, and long travels dissolved into joyful moments. They then shifted to drills, guided by popular music and local cuisine, and topped it all with one another’s company.
Simply put, the games, music, food, and laughter became a lesson in effective communication. Laughter over different accents turned into better understanding of ourselves. It was a reminder that the most valuable connections often happen when people feel free to express themselves.
Africa Young Professionals (AYP) Workshop and Speed Mentoring Session
The AYP Workshop reflected this same spirit. When Joseph Adetuberu, gas, business, and commercial manager for Heirs Energies, spoke about workplace visibility, participants explored how culture shapes growth. Some emphasized bold self-advocacy, while others valued recognition within community. His message that “opportunities meet you where they’ve seen you” carried even more meaning when viewed through these diverse lenses.
Africa Young Professionals Inter-Section Debate
The AYP inter-section debate was held under the topic “Empowering Africa’s Young Energy Leaders Through Technology, Talent Development, and Collaboration Is Essential But not Sufficient To Transform the Continent’s Energy Future.”
The contest felt like a high-level championship, with talented participants giving their best to secure the win. Their arguments and counterarguments were well-researched and delivered with such consistency that the audience is sure to remember them for years.
The contest showcased the YPs—from the moderator to the participants and eventual winner, SPE Benin City Section.
Soft Skills Development With SPE Business and Leadership Committee
On Day 3, Priscilla Enwere of the SPE Business and Leadership Committee led an interactive session on “Beyond the Border: Fueling Success Through Collaboration.” She highlighted how cross-border collaboration drives energy project success, pointing to the international capital market, supply chain, and global talent pool as critical enablers.
Participants also learned the value of curiosity, clear communication, compromise, and shared goals in building effective teams. The session emphasized that technical expertise alone is no longer enough in today’s interconnected industry; emotional intelligence and adaptability are equally vital.
Later that day, the visit to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production headquarters gave participants a look into the dynamic operations behind the Shell Bonga floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. They engaged in leadership and technical sessions, with the CAR strategy—capacity, achievement, relationship—for career growth and leadership training. The sessions provided valuable insights into the sector’s challenges and opportunities, while also showing participants how to take advantage of them.
Day 3 wrapped up with a visit to the Nike Art Gallery. No journey across borders is complete without embracing the soul of the land, and, here, African creativity came alive through art weaving history, tradition, and modern aspiration. Delegates saw how artistic expression reflects values and identity, reminding them that innovation must harmonize with culture. Meeting Nike Davies-Okundaye, known as Mama Nike, a central figure in African art and crafts, and exploring her vast collection affirmed that stories and creativity are strengths, not obstacles. Her words, “Our stories are our power,” lingered long after the visitors left.
The visit was truly an experience of “when art speaks,” each piece carrying life’s meaning through imagined expression. Participants explored Africa’s tapestry of creativity and tradition, ending with music, dance, and glimpses of one another rarely seen in formal settings.
Day 4 began with a breakfast session with SPE leadership, where mentorship and guidance were central to the BtB experience. Participants engaged directly with 2025 SPE President Olivier Houzé, Africa Regional Director Riverson Oppong, and SPE Nigeria Council Chair Amina Danmadami, gaining invaluable insights and the chance to discuss the future of SPE.
These interactions offered wisdom, strategic perspectives, and encouragement to help participants chart personal and collective paths within the energy industry.
A Visit to the Icon of Industrialization in Africa
When one speaks of industrialization in Africa, it is almost impossible not to mention Dangote. SPE Africa BtB gave participants the unique opportunity to experience the world’s largest single-train refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 B/D.
It was more than a tour of what one person can achieve; it revealed the kind of talent Africa needs to drive industrialization in the energy sector. Hearing from Devakumar V.G. Edwin, Dangote vice presidentr, participants learned about the refinery’s global-quality standards and its integration of sustainability into operations.
The Special Moments
One of the most powerful aspects of BtB was how cultural exchange wove itself naturally into every activity. Beyond technical insights, participants discovered one another through debates, keynote sessions, and networking that fostered lasting friendships. The spirited Ghana vs. Benin City debate and keynotes that linked global goals to local realities stood out, while even mealtimes became classrooms, highlighted by the playful Nigeria vs. Ghana Jollof rivalry.
What's Next?
These moments showed that collaboration requires more than shared goals. It needs curiosity, openness, and joy in diversity. By the end, delegates became a community with a vision for Africa’s future. The BtB experience has laid the foundation for ongoing collaboration, leadership, and cross-border impact.
Ridwan Mudi is a project engineer with NNPC E&P Ltd., where he contributes to and leads the execution of upstream oil and gas projects. With a background in electrical and electronics engineering, he brings a multidisciplinary approach to engineering and work.
Nalubega Priscillah is an oil and gas professional specializing in mud logging, geological surveillance, and drilling operations. She currently works as a data engineer at Excellence Logging, supporting TotalEnergies’ development wells in Uganda through data integrity, drilling optimization, and crew supervision. She is the membership chairperson of the SPE Uganda Section.
Abednego Ishaya is a petroleum engineer at CypherCrescent Ltd., where he leads the team operationalizing digital well activity planning and performance monitoring within Niger Delta fields operations. He drives digitalization for efficient WRM process and has been involved in projects including asset data democratization, field development planning, reservoir studies, and gas lift optimization.
Meshack Musyoki Mutua is an assistant project manager (intern) at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa (AHK Eastern Africa), where he supports project coordination, reporting, and regional energy initiatives. He is currently pursuing a master's of science degree in renewable energy and environmental engineering and holds a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from Mount Kenya University.
Chisom Okoye is a senior data engineer with Waje Smart Ltd. He holds a bachelor's degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Port Harcourt, as well as certifications from Microsoft, Udacity, and World Quant University in the US.
Abena Owusua Yeboah is a completions field engineer with SLB. She is an alumna of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where she earned a BS degree in petrochemical engineering. She currently serves as the Planning Committee lead for the 2025 SPE Africa BtB program.
Olawale Ajayi is a petroleum engineer at NNPC E&P Ltd. with 7 years of experience in reservoir engineering, well engineering, production operations, and business planning. He is the recipient of the 2023 SPE International Giovanni Paccaloni Young Professional Award and a 2025 OTC Emerging Leader. He currently serves as chair of both the SPE Africa Region and SPE Nigeria Council Young Professionals Committees.