NIGERIA
GABON
SHELL
SEPTEMBER
SHELL WORLD
WORLD AVRIL
AVRIL 2014
2014 2015
“SAFETY IN
DESIGN”
IS MY MANTRA
Abimbola Tijani,
Manager, Engineering Onshore
Nigeria
What All Successful
Female Leaders Know
Do you?
ACTS Generation
A listening ear for women in the workplace
Gender diversity in SCiN:
The HR Talent Team’s story
Barbara Blum speaks on talent:
“We, women must lend a helping hand”
EDITORIAL
SHELL WORLD
NIGERIA
ISSUE 21
SEPTEMBER 2015
WELCOME TO
SHELL WORLD NIGERIA
Q3 EDITION
EDITORIAL BOARD
Igo Weli, Chairman
Adaobi K. Oniwinde, Editor-in-Chief
Tunde Adams
Afolabi Akinrogunde
Bola ‘Salt’ Essien-Nelson
I’m thrilled to present this special “Let’s hear it for our girls” edition in which we’re shining the
spotlight on Shell women. This edition is full of interviews and features by and about women,
yet will no doubt be enjoyed by ALL. I think you will come away agreeing with the fact that:
Shell’s got female talent!
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Adaobi K. Oniwinde
[email protected]
You’ll read about Abimbola Tijani who is Manager, Onshore Engineering Nigeria and joined
Shell with a vision to literally change the world, starting with Nigeria. Go to page 8 for her
in–depth interview to find out how she seems to be doing it all.
EDITOR
Bola ‘Salt’ Essien-Nelson
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTORS
Lori Ekpeh
[email protected]
Osemhen Okenyi
[email protected]
Chinyere Ozumba
[email protected]
Stella Emeka-Okoli
[email protected]
Ozoz Sokoh
[email protected]
Another Shell woman who seems to be doing it all is Dilys-Ann Owen, HR Business Partner. Her
fascinating journey from career woman to motherhood and back is on page 19—this story is a
great testament to Shell’s total commitment to the employee value proposition.
Also on the subject of employee value, did you know that there is a leadership body specifically
set up to focus on Nigerian and Gabonese talent? Barbara Blum, Associate General Counsel,
Upstream International is the council’s gender diversity champion. She shares her views on
women’s role in uplifting each other in the workplace (page 22).
On safety—Senior Field Supervisor at Gbaran Ubie, Osemhen Okenyi’s “You Did Not Plan
to Die That Morning” is a gripping reminder of why safety remains our number one priority…
I know you’ll find these and other stories in this edition informative and entertaining.
DISTRIBUTION
Anthony Ogedengbe
[email protected]
As always, we appreciate all your feedback. Do keep them coming to
[email protected].
DESIGN
Shell Production Centre of Excellence
The Hague, The Netherlands
1060751
Please remain committed to Goal Zero as we enter the ember months. Not out of fear,
but because you care.
Happy reading!
PRINTER
Artsaels Limited
Lagos, Nigeria
FRONT COVER
Abimbola Tijani,
Manager, Engineering Onshore Nigeria
Shell World Nigeria replaces all
previous hardcopy regional and
line business publications. It is
also available to anyone outside
Shell who is interested in the
issues that affect us as a global
energy company.
Shell is represented by the
following companies in Nigeria:
Shell Petroleum Development
Company of Nigeria (SPDC)
Joint Venture; Shell Nigeria
Exploration and Production
Company (SNEPCo);
Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG);
Shell Nigeria Closed Pension
Fund Administrator (SNCPFA);
Nigeria LNG Limited and Shell
Exploration and Production
Africa (SEPA).
2 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
Adaobi K. Oniwinde
Editor-in-Chief, Shell World Nigeria
NIGERIA
September 2015
Contents
04What All Successful
Female Leaders Know (Do you?)
Good Food
21Salads: nourish the soul, sustain
the body
Social Investment News
05Development Nigeria staff
partner with Society of Petroleum
Engineers (SPE)
Final Words
22Barbara Blum speaks on talent:
“We, women must lend
a helping hand”
06Shell Nigeria Gas Recommits to
Safer Roads in Ota, Ogun State
SWN Book Corner
23Lean In – Women, Work, and the
Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
8
Your Magazine
Features
07Speaking out against Distracted
Working Syndrome!
Super Working Mum by
Aloted Omoba
Cover Story
08 “Safety in Design” is my mantra –
An depth interview with
Abimbola Tijani
12
10ACTS Generation – Offering a
Listening Ear to Women in the
Workplace
11Gender Diversity in SCiN: The HR
Talent Story
12Ogoni LiveWIRE Programme:
Empowering the young men and
women of Ogoni Land
14You Did Not Plan to Die That
Morning
20
15Shell Companies in Nigeria win
laurels at the 39th NAICE SPE
Conference
19The Lagos Crèche:
Dilys-Ann Owen’s Employee Value
Proposition (EVP) story
20Effective Tree Management
and Ecological Sustainability
in SPDC residential area in
Port Harcourt
22
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 3
YOUR MAGAZINE
WHAT ALL SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADERS KNOW (DO YOU?)
Successful leaders know that their highdemand positions mean nothing if they
can’t influence others to believe in their
mission. So what’s the secret to being an
effective leader? Read on and find out!
Be a “Deep Listener”
In a leadership position, you need to
train yourself on “deep listening” so
that you can really understand what’s
going on. You lead with much more
confidence when you understand how
people around you—whether they
agree or disagree with your decision—
will react. In that way, you’ll be able to
pull them along with you even if they
don’t agree with you … by the way, this
works in marriage too.
Sometimes you need to just go
with your gut
Sometimes you just have to make a leap
of faith. Leadership is about presenting
confidence and decisiveness. It
would be great if we could always be
confident but that’s not the case and
it is possible—in fact necessary—to
make decisions you’re not 100 percent
sure of. The longer you do it, the more
natural going with your gut becomes.
Pay attention to what you are
doing wrong
There is a lot of talk about being a born
leader and having natural leadership
skills. That might just be a myth. It has
been proven that if you are not paying
attention to the things you’re doing
wrong, then you’re not evolving and
learning. I would say that leadership
is something that is learned. It can
be learned and should be learned.
Leadership is something you’re always
honing and learning and reflecting to
see ways you could have been better at
4 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
it. Anyone who thinks they’re a natural
leader is probably horrible to work with.
Be your authentic self
Don’t be afraid to be you and own it.
If you think being a leader is about
having some agenda, it’s not. Being a
leader is actually being completely in
sync with who you are and speaking
from that place, giving feedback,
sharing opinions from that place. That’s
why people follow you.
As a good leader, you really need to learn humility.
Learn to give credit to your
subordinates when things go
well and to shoulder the
responsibility when things
hit the fan.
well and to shoulder the responsibility
when things hit the fan. It’s hard, but I
think the lack of ego is something that
people respect and appreciate.
Listening is the biggest part of your job
Leadership is mostly about listening. You
can’t create a team that thrives if you
can’t respond to what each member
needs. They don’t always ask directly. It
has been discovered that the best teams
to work on are the ones with the best
communicators—not just being able
to articulate a vision as the leader, but
also being able to respond to individual
personalities on a team in effective ways.
You don’t have to have all the answers
Most people think leaders are some
sort of ‘all-knowing-beings,’ but in
reality you will not always know the
answers. But you must learn to trust
your instincts to lead you to an answer.
Ask Questions
Real Leadership is about Service
Leadership is asking a lot of questions.
You can learn so much by asking your
customers, employees and stakeholders
questions. The more you ask, the more
information you get on how to serve
them better.
You must understand that leadership
is fundamentally about service; about
a dying to self and loving others into
their true potential. It isn’t about you
personally. It isn’t about what you can
get, or consume. It isn’t about elevating
yourself above others. It isn’t about ego.
Leadership is about lowering yourself
such that the people who work with you
and our organisation can thrive in ways
that create value (economic and social). n
A lot of Leadership is a private journey
Most acts of leadership happen behind
closed doors. It’s a private affair: the
conversations with an employee; the
hard decisions at a board meeting,
the thoughts in bed late at night. It’s
counter-intuitive because we think of
leaders as very public figures.
In good times and bad: be humble
As a good leader, you really need
to learn humility. Learn to give credit
to your subordinates when things go
So did you know all this?
Read more personal stories
of female leaders’ @
The Fast Company.com.
For now, relax and enjoy all the
ones we have for you in this special
edition of Shell World Nigeria!
SOCIAL INVESTMENT NEWS
éé A cross section of Shell staff, led by DM, Offshore Assets, Beatrice Spaine (3rd. from
right) and the SPE section 61 Chairman (extreme left) Mr. Okwuoma Nnajiofor at the
end of the walk/run to raise funds for underprivileged in our community.
éé Secondary school students paying attention to the “Introduction to Oil and Gas” lecture
given by Oghogho Effiom from the Development function, Lagos.
DEVELOPMENT NIGERIA STAFF PARTNER WITH
SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (SPE)
TO HELP THE UNDERPRIVILEGED
Shell Companies in Nigeria have been known and
acknowledged for supporting communities, especially in
the areas of health, education and infrastructure development.
On an individual level, Shell staff individually and collectively
support charitable and philanthropic organisations. Recently,
Offshore Development Staff, led by the Development
Manager, Offshore Assets, Beatrice Spaine participated in a
run /walk to raise funds for an energy outreach program to
Eleko Community in Lagos.
The event took place on a sunny Saturday morning and was
hosted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers Lagos Section
61. Almost 100 participants took part in the 6.2 kilometre
procession in Victoria Island Lagos.
Trophies were given to the first, second, and third male and
female runners. A raffle draw was held at the end of the event and
a lucky winner emerged from Total Exploration and Production
Nigeria Limited, winning an all-expenses paid trip to Ghana!
SPE used the donated funds and relief materials to provide the
following items to the Eleko community in close collaboration
with Shell Medical department:
n 50
persons received medical screening for renal
disease and diabetes
n 80 persons received blood pressure, hypertension and
obesity tests
n 100 persons received free eye checks, while glasses
and eye medication was provided as required.
n 1,000 notebooks and writing materials were donated
to three secondary schools
n Over 300 people were provided with food and drinks
at the event
n Clothing and household materials were also donated
to families in Eleko community.
The good that comes out of these philanthropic ventures
cannot be overestimated. SPE and other associations rely on
the generosity of individuals to channel resources to areas
where they are most needed.
Shell World Nigeria would like to congratulate the
Development team and especially all the ladies who worked
tirelessly to put this together. We hope it will encourage more
people to give generously, to leave a lasting legacy and
break the cycle of poverty in our local environment and in
Nigeria as a whole. n
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 5
SOCIAL INVESTMENT NEWS
SHELL NIGERIA GAS RECOMMITS TO
SAFER ROADS IN OTA,
OGUN STATE
Concerned that Nigeria accounts for more than 25% of
road traffic accidents in Africa, Shell Nigeria Gas Limited
(SNG) has re-energised the first phase of its 2015 Annual
Road Safety Campaign to create greater awareness and
an attitude-change among road users in Ota, Ogun State.
The nine year old campaign is a response to the company’s
unease about the continued negative impact that unsafe
driving and other practices are still having on drivers, their
passengers and other road users.
Held in conjunction with the Federal Road Safety Corps
(FRSC) and other safety-related organisations, the campaign
took place on June 24, 2015 at the Sango Main Motor Park at
Ota, and was attended by commercial drivers, motorcyclists,
pedestrians, other road users. The theme of the campaign
was “Your Destination or The Mortuary”.
Speaking at the event, SNG’s Managing Director, Mr.
‘Toyin Adenuga, represented by the company’s Sustainable
Development Adviser, Mr. Babatunde Olaleke, reminded
attendees that though the company’s annual road safety
campaigns have helped reduce incidences of road accidents
in different parts of the Ota community, a lot more work
must still be done to prevent the continued loss of lives and
limbs that accompany many road accidents. According
to him, “Shell Nigeria Gas Limited will continue to work
6 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
éé 4th from right are Commander Ngueku Godwin of FRSC Zonal
Headquarters, Hon Afariogun of AFED (NGO), Commander
Ayodele Steve of FRSC Ogun State Command Headquarters,
Tunde Olaleke of Shell and Ado-Odo Otta Local Government
FRSC Unit Commander Mathew Olonisaye
with stakeholders to create greater awareness about the
importance of safe road transport practices and ensure that at
the end of the day, all road users in the Ota area get to their
families safely.”
Speaking further on the theme of the event, Mr. Mathew
Olonisaye, the FRSC’s Unit Commander for Ado-Odo, Ota
Local Government in Ogun State where SNG operates stated,
“Nigeria has one of the highest road accident rates in the
world. We must work together to stop this problem which
destroys lives and affects people’s futures.” According to
him, road accidents in Nigeria are caused by three factors:
human, mechanical and environmental and 90% of all road
accidents are caused by the human factor. “The power to stop
accidents lies with you”, he concluded.
Activities that were carried out at the event included
presentations by experts, films, health screenings and quiz
competitions by the road safety clubs from various secondary
schools in the Ota area.
Shell Nigeria Gas Limited commenced operations in 2002
and currently supplies natural gas via pipelines to more than
70 industrial customers in the Agbara and Ota industrial
areas of Ogun State. The company also operates in Aba,
Abia State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State. n
SHELL WOMEN ON SAFETY
SPEAKING OUT AGAINST
DISTRACTED WALKING SYNDROME!
Stella Emeka-Okoli is passionate
about Safety. In this edition of SWN,
she talks about a new addition to the
global safety agenda - Distracted
Walking Syndrome (DwS).
One of the ways we can improve
our personal safety is by taking
responsibility for our actions when
we are walking on public roads.
The advent of portable music and
telecommunications devices has had
an negative impact on the quest for
pedestrian safety. According to the Wall
Street Journal report in January 2014,
“77 percent of the world’s population
now own a smartphone, and accidents
related to the usage of the distracting
devices has gone up”.
Consequently, top on the pedestrian
safety agenda is what has now been
tagged “Distracted Walking Syndrome
(DwS)”. DwS is characterised by walking,
talking/texting, listening to music with
earphones and attempting to make calls
when walking on public roads. It only
takes a few seconds while typing on
your cell phone to become distracted.
That’s why it’s so important to put your
devices away when you are walking on
the streets especially here in Nigeria.
Recently, a boy listening to music with
earphones in Port Harcourt was killed
by a trailer with failed brakes because
he did not hear the blaring horn and
shouts of other passers-by trying to get
his attention. In 2011, walking with her
nose in her phone, a lady accidentally
fell into the fountain of a Pennsylvania
shopping mall while texting on her
phone. I saw a lady walking and
texting and only after horning did she
realise that she was in the middle of a
zebra crossing and needed to move out
of my way! Stories of people bumping
into others pedestrians as they talk on
the phone abound. I have many and I
am sure you have some too.
This needs to stop and we need to be
part of the fight against DwS! Think
about it, 15 years ago there was no
mobile phones in Nigeria so we know
that DWS is an acquired syndrome that
we can ‘cure’ ourselves from for our own
safety and in the interest of our families
and the business. Life is too precious.
Let’s not take it for granted. Is that phone
call or text message really worth your
life? Must you make it right now?
Next time your phone rings or a text
message comes in while you are
walking remember the risks involved.
If you must pick the call or reply the
message, step aside, make sure you
are in a safe position and then use the
phone. Please do not use headphones
while walking and bicycling, especially
in high-traffic areas and use the
handrails while taking a flight of stairs.
Spread the word about the dangers
of distraction and like me, make your
voice count! n
by Stella Emeka-Okoli
Value Assurance Advisor
Life is too precious. Let’s not
take it for granted. Is that
phone call or text message
really worth your life? Must
you make it right now?
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 7
MAIN STORY
Abimbola Tijani is the Manager, Onshore
Engineering Nigeria. She began her career in Shell
as a Production Engineer 19 years ago and has
since led various teams. As part of our special
celebration of women in this edition, Shell World
Nigeria met up with Abimbola to talk about her
Shell journey so far, her thoughts about the life of a
working woman, building female talent in Shell
Nigeria and much more. She was a delight to talk
to and we hope you come away from this interview
feeling like Salt Essien-Nelson did: Inspired
and Unstoppable!
ABIMBOLA TIJANI:
“SAFETY IN
DESIGN’
IS MY
MANTRA”
So who is Abimbola Tijani and when did she
join Shell?
I joined Shell shortly after my National Youth Service Corp.
I worked briefly at Accenture and was leaving to pursue
a Master’s Degree when I got a call from SPDC to attend
an interview. I got the job and still went on to pursue my
Master’s Degree gaining one in Engineering Management
from the University of Benin and later an MBA from INSEAD
in Fontainebleau, France. I’m many things; I’m a wife,
daughter, sister and I am a mum to two children aged
five and 11 years old. I’m also an engineer, a women’s
advocate, a strategist and an aspiring golfer, amongst many
other things.
How has your journey in Shell been thus far?
I joined SPDC in October 1996 with a vision to change
the world, starting with Nigeria. People say that lightly,
but I truly saw an opportunity in the oil and gas industry to
impact a substantial number of people, primarily through
industrialisation with the ripple effects that has on every
aspect of a nation – from social investments to capacity
building, financial opportunities, and much more. It is
the leading industry in the nation and I felt we could do
a lot using the industry as a tool to empower citizens and
build the nation. So for me, working with Shell was an
unorthodox way to achieve nation-building and to make
a big difference especially as SPDC then produced more
than half of Nigeria’s hydrocarbons and over 40% of our
foreign earnings.
I had a group of friends and our aim was to expand SPDC
and take it further downstream: produce more oil and gas,
8 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
build gas-processing plants, refineries, petrochemicals and
in so doing catalyse the socio-economic transformation of
Nigeria and Africa as a whole – and influence the word from
the heart of the Niger Delta. Lofty goals, you might think for
us back then, it felt attainable…and that is still my reason for
being here.
So have you accomplished your goals?
Although we might not be where we want to be yet, we
HAVE come a long way. Every year SCiN contributes
billions of dollars to the nation. Some of this money
translates to roads and schools, and perhaps more important
than that, this money represents a chance. Our barrels
translate to opportunity, to realised dreams, to a future for
many Nigerians.
The Gbaran-Ubie Integrated oil and gas plant (GU) is a
prime example of this and exemplifies what we do…and
what we do well at Shell. Every day I come to work, I think
about the impact of my work on the lives of people not only
here in Nigeria but across the world. Gas from our plants
power Bayelsa State, heat homes in Spain and Portugal
and service industries in Japan, Korea, India and many
more places around the world. Connecting the dots like this
gives my work meaning and satisfies me in a way a pay
cheque cannot.
What’s your typical day like? What keeps
you motivated?
I plan my day around my work calendar. I focus on efficient
working habits. These involve punctuality, discipline
and commitment. I treat every meeting I agree to attend
as both an opportunity taken and a commitment given.
Collaboration, being involved with my customers, teams
and direct reports is important to me. And if a task is
important then I want to do it and do it well. It’s that personal
commitment to excellence that drives me and keeps me
motivated. You know what I find many times? We often don’t
stretch ourselves enough.
What do you think about Female talent in
Shell Nigeria?
I think Shell Nigeria has fantastic female talent, there have
been and are great women in this company and I am
proud of our achievements to date. Yet, there is room for
improvement. Steadily we see the company incorporating,
opportunities for creating a diverse and inclusive staff body
through activities that encourage engagement and improve
work-life balance.
My first role in Shell was in Production. Out of the 21 new
entrants there were only two females. Now, nineteen years
later, can we achieve in that group equal male-to-female
ratio? I don’t think so. Equality starts at the foundation.
Equality cannot merely start at recruitment; the best jobs
must go to the best people. What we need is to ensure
that more women, starting with women we know, are
being encouraged or ‘allowed’ to pursue tasks that make
them the most attractive in an increasingly competitive
and global workforce. We need to encourage women to
bravely venture into spaces that have traditionally been
masculine reserves.
You know what I find many times? We often don’t stretch
ourselves enough. We place ‘caps’ on our dreams due to fear,
societal rules, and sometimes for the sake of others. Some of
us don’t even bother to dream anymore. I’d like to encourage
us to change this. When I was younger, I really wanted to
be an astronaut but I convinced myself that the training costs
were unaffordable. So I amended my dreams, made them
more accommodating to “reality”… but what’s the point of
a dream if it’s not bigger than reality? I regret giving up on
that dream, I realise now that I should have at least tried.
Providence has a way of rewarding the brave.
We place ‘caps’ on our dreams due to
fear, societal rules, and sometimes for
the sake of others. Some of us don’t
even bother to dream anymore. I’d like
to encourage us to change this.
For Nigeria to play effectively on a global scale, we need to
let women know that having a baby does not count you out of
a successful career, look at Marissa Mayer – CEO Yahoo! So,
let’s celebrate our own Sheryl Sandbergs past and present ...
Linda Cook, Ann Pickard, Barbara Blum, Ceri Powell, Beatrice
Spaine, Nnoli Akpedeye, and many others. We all need
role models. And please tell the men, it is okay to work for a
woman *laughing*
I think it’s also important to level the playing field, from
maternity leave to paternity leave, to adoption leave,
from flexi-time to flexi-location, from stairs to lifts etc. Let’s
recognise and celebrate females AND the heterogeneity of
Continue p. 18
all our work force.
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 9
WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN
ACTS GENERATION – OFFERING A LISTENING EAR
TO WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
Laila St. Mathew-Daniel is the heart and soul behind
ACTS Generation – a gender-based NGO committed to
empowerment of women and girls, especially in the areas
of domestic violence and all forms of abuse. Laila is also a
‘Leadership Liaison’, a transformational strategist and life
coach whose passion is to help connect people to their
purpose. With a background in administration, psychology,
neuro-linguistic programming and coaching, Laila is able
to empower individuals to transform their personal and
professional lives. She is also a Writer, Blogger and Speaker.
As part of this special edition focused on
women, Shell World Nigeria met with
Laila and we hope you enjoy her interview
and find it instructive and informative.
So what is ACTS Generation all about?
How can people, especially women in the corporate
world help?
Many times, the signs of emotional or physical abuse are
evident if only we would pay attention. I am not asking you to
poke your nose in anybody’s affairs but when a high flyer or
good performing woman suddenly begins to perform badly,
take time to ask questions. I find that sometimes female bosses
tend to be less compassionate than their male counterparts,
which I find amazing. We women ought to look out for one
another especially in the work place. When you, as the
leader or boss, find yourself unable to show
empathy, you need to take a step back and
self-analyse – what are you hiding behind
that mask? What experiences have you gone
through that have hardened you?
You are known as the woman with the
“listening ear and heart”. Share some tips
At ACTS Generation (ACTS G) we believe
with us. How can we listen better?
that only when women are helped can
The ability to discern as well as dissect a
they have the confidence needed to stand
problem and offer words of encouragement
up and defend their rights in a seemingly
is a gift from God. Nevertheless, I know that
unequal, unfair world. I started ACTS
if your heart is in the right place, you can
G to cater to the healing of mind and
develop this gift. There are many women out
body of troubled and hurting women
there who look lovely on the outside but are
and ‘at-risk’ children through counselling,
éé Laila St. Mathhew-Daniel, Founder of
carrying so much pain on the inside. I believe
psychotherapy and rehabilitation. We are
ACTS Generation.
that if we pay more attention and listen more
against every form of domestic violence,
actively, we can make a difference in these lives…even in the
sexual abuse and trafficking/enslavement of women and
work place. Learn to listen to what the other party is saying.
children. We are also involved in advocacy work to make sure
Many times we don't do this. We are just eager to proffer
the rights of women are respected and that measures are put
solutions without really paying attention.
in place by the government to assist the woman and girl/child.
ACTS G also assists women to deal with sexual harassment in
Do you work with individuals/organisations to share how
the work place. You will not believe what some of our sisters
to deal with these issues?
working in the corporate world are dealing with!
Yes, I work with individuals via one-on-one coaching sessions.
Can you share a bit more on that last part please?
I also work with corporate organisations providing coaching
Sexual harassment by bosses, male and female; female
on Emotional intelligence. I also offer individual counselling
workers being used as ‘bait’ for prospective clients;
sessions to employees. For more information on what we do
discrimination against women who take time off to have
at ACTS G, please visit my website: www.lailastmd.com.
babies and it goes on and on. In some cases, women find
themselves succumbing to compromising situations just to
I would like to end on this note: Be watchful. Be observant of
keep their jobs, but it eventually affects them psychologically.
little out-of-place excuses for bruises or change in the persona
It takes a toll on their self-worth and self-esteem and in some
of your colleagues. You might not need help of this nature
cases; leads to self-hate which could result in physiological
but be that kind of leader, colleague or supervisor that cares
issues. May I add here that men also experience sexual
enough to notice if something seems amiss with one of your
harassment and abuse but available data shows that number
employees. Be your sister and brother’s keeper!! n
of cases fall far below those of women.
10 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
HUMAN RESOURCES ON WOMEN
GENDER DIVERSITY IN
SCIN: THE HR TALENT STORY
éé Rita Olarewaju, Senior Talent Advisor in HR
This special edition of Shell World Nigeria would be incomplete
if it did not seek to hear from the Human Resources (HR) Function.
What is HR doing in the gender diversity space to promote an
even playing field for and the development of women? Our
Editor, Salt met up with Rita Olarewaju who is a Senior Talent
Advisor in the HR Function for answers.
SWN: We have been hearing about the Nigeria Gabon
Talent Council. Can you shed more light on what this
council is all about?
The Nigerian Gabon Talent Council or NGTC is the leadership
body that was set up to focus on the development of Nigerian
and Gabonese talent. Key issues that are addressed include;
How can we maintain healthy talent pipelines? What do we
need to do to ensure a sustainable growth of talent for the future?
Do we have sufficient leadership coverage? Are successions
plans actively being worked and so on.
SWN: Who are the members of the NGTC?
We have the VP Nigeria & Gabon, the Country Chair & MD
SPDC, the VP HR/MD SNEPCO, the PDG Gabon and key
business leaders for the various disciplines/functions. Working
together, these leaders have been demonstrating real ownership
for talent in the company and are actively addressing issues
pertaining to leadership and talent development of Nigerians
and Gabonese.
SWN: Can you share what, if any progress the NGTC has
made thus far?
There has been significant progress since it was set up in 2013.
We are now seeing healthier cover ratios for senior roles,
and increased focus on early talent identification. There is
also positive progress in other key talent measures, with some
aspirational targets. Equally important is the fact that we now
have a clear roadmap of how to progress this journey, which is
regularly tracked by the business leaders and Talent.
SWN: What is the NGTC doing specifically to address
the lack of women in top leadership positions within the
business? Sarah Ajose-Adeogun asked a similar question
during the recent Town hall session.
Gender representation is a key concern both locally and at Royal
Dutch Shell level, and certain mitigations are being put in place
which includes attraction and recruitment, focus on diversity
during resourcing and providing the right opportunities for
women to compete and secure leadership roles. We have been
successful in our recruitment gender targets usually exceeding
the target of 28% Technical graduate and 50% commercial
Graduate hires, so the funnel is fairly robust at the graduate,
SG 5, SG 4 levels. The key concern is how to ensure we retain
the female Talent pool as they progress to higher job levels
in the organisation. So a good part of our work is to pursue the
sustainability in profile and ratio of the talent pool to senior levels.
In 2015, the NGTC took a significant step to focus on four key
areas and gender diversity is one of them. The other three are
young professionals, high potential employees, gender diversity
and diversity in general. Each of these areas has a senior business
leader as champion whose role is to deepen ownership and ensure
sufficient peer challenge and progress in the focus area. Barbara
Blum, the Associate General Counsel who is the gender diversity
champion is very passionate about this issue and has been quite
active and supportive in this space. The Council leaders are also
quite keen to see us move beyond the rhetoric to action.
SWN: Can you share what concrete actions have been
taken in this area in particular?
The Regional Talent team working with the champion, Barbara
has held six focus group sessions across Lagos and Port Harcourt.
We also had senior female role models participate and co- lead
these sessions. Participants found the sessions very valuable
and an opportunity to address the unique issues around female
talent development and representation concerns. The output of
these sessions has been built into five main themes with clear
action plans. These action steps range from leadership support,
sponsorship/mentoring, increasing visibility of female talent,
increasing self-awareness, personal development, and a raft of
other interventions.
We have also held sessions to create more awareness about the
policies the company has put in place to support work life balance.
During these sessions, senior female leaders shared their personal
career stories and leadership development journeys. Recently, an
engaging session on ‘Maximising Female Potential and Leadership
Impact’ was held with some female professionals across Gabon
and Nigeria. The keynote speaker was Stephanie Boyde, the EVP
Remuneration, Benefits & HR Services, who shared her leadership
journey and provided some practical insights for making an impact.
SWN: Being in the oil and gas industry, are there any
specific interventions for our women out there in the field?
Our technical female professionals have not been left out. The
Production team under the leadership of David Martin has set up
a focused team to support field based female technicians and
enhance the career path framework for them in SCiN. This is being
led by Production Services Manager, Obi Akosa supported by HR.
SWN: Thank you so much for taking the time to share with
us today Rita. I believe the workforce will now have a better
insight into the work HR is doing in this space. Do you have
any final words?
I would like to end by saying that HR will continue to work towards
embedding diversity and inclusiveness within Shell companies in
Nigeria so that we can fully leverage the business benefits of D & I. n
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 11
OGONI LIVEWIRE PROGRAMME:
EMPOWERING THE YOUNG MEN
AND WOMEN OF OGONI LAND
These are two stories of hope and resilience and they
demonstrate clearly the kind of impact the LiveWire
programme is having on the lives of Ogoni youths.
The LiveWIRE programme is a Shell-led initiative, run in
17 countries globally, targeted at helping young people
explore the option of starting their own business as a real and
viable career option. In Nigeria, the LiveWIRE programme
has been in operation since 2003. Shell Nigeria LiveWIRE,
deployed by SPDC Joint Venture and SNEPCo, has created
the platform to train 6140 youths and help over 3000 start-up
businesses, including 180 persons with disability.
CELINA AKEN CHIKERE
In November 2014, the SPDC Joint Venture deployed the LiveWIRE
programme to Ogoni land to provide alternative livelihood
options to the youths in the area. One hundred and five Ogoni
youths, aged 18 to 35 were selected to undergo a three-month
entrepreneurship and skills acquisition training and receive a startup grant for their businesses. Fast forward to August 2015, two of
the beneficiaries, Marcus Nwidoh and Celina Chikere are now
running their own businesses:
Celina Aken Chikere, 24, culinary and food processor,
through the LiveWIRE training programme, now owns her
own restaurant in Ogoni Land. Popularly called Celina
LiveWIRE, she testifies to two principles that have helped
her business succeed: safety and cleanliness.
Without LiveWIRE, Celina explains that she would have
still been jobless, assisting her elderly mother to manage
her small business. With two apprentices, one paid
employee and daily revenue of 3,000 Naira, Celina is
working towards expanding her business, going to the
university and getting married in the coming year.
“LiveWIRE did something great in my life, trained me and
made me a better cook” she says. Celina also finds time
as a volunteer, to teach other young women of Ogoni
land to bake and acquire culinary skills.
“At the LiveWIRE training, we
were taught the importance of
safety and value of cleanliness
to one’s business; my customers
commend me for these”.
çç Celina in front of her restaurant
12 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
MARCUS CYRIL NWIDOH
The LiveWIRE
programme is a
Shell-led initiative,
run in 17 countries
globally.
éé Marcus at his cast-iron work shop
For Marcus Cyril Nwidoh, 31, a Mechanical Engineering
diploma holder, what started out as a regular day in
November 2014, turned out to be the beginning of
something special in his life.
“The LiveWIRE programme has
been a real blessing to me.
I was unemployed but thanks
to the programme I was able
to get training in welding and
fabrication”.
Marcus’ mother re-married when he was seven years
old and left him to the care of relatives, exposing him to
many hardships. Growing up, he faced many ordeals
and has had to support a wife and three children in the
village without a regular job. To survive, he did odd jobs,
where available. His encounter with LiveWIRE is one he
recounts as the beginning of great things to come.
“LiveWIRE really changed my life and that of my family.
It has also helped me to help others in my church and
community”, he says. Marcus hopes to go into mass
production in the near future, saying this will give him the
opportunity to train and employ more young people in
Ogoni. Today, he has two apprentices who support him
to deliver iron-cast jobs; young men who were once idle.
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 13
SHELL WOMEN ON SAFETY
YOU DID NOT PLAN
TO DIE THAT MORNING
You don’t plan to die that morning. You wake up like you
did the morning before; like you did last week and the week
before and for the six years you’ve been on the plant as a
maintenance technician. You wake up and brush your teeth
and shower. You close your eyes in prayer. And then shrug
into your orange overalls. You slide your feet into your safety
boots. Your phone blinks and your teenage daughter’s
smiling face flashes on the screen. You answer the phone call,
smiling as she reminds you that you have four more days till
you return home. You can’t wait. You still have the smile on
your face as you step out of your room, your hand-held radio
clipped to your breast pocket.
You walk to the morning toolbox meeting. Another team
member shares a “Learning-From-Incident (LFI)”. A team
of workers died in the Middle East because they accessed
a pit filled with sulphide. The presenter asks for feedback
and everyone agrees that the workers were ignorant; they
should have conducted gas testing before going into the
the confined space. There’s an almost palpable sense of
superiority in the room. No one on this plant would ever
make such a careless mistake. We are professionals. We
don’t intend to die early.
Fifteen minutes later, the team leader allocates the work for
the day. You are assigned to check the earthing points on the
plant. You pick up your permit, exchange a few jokes with
the permit coordinator and proceed to the pits with the new
intern. You have just started your job hazard analysis when
your handheld radio crackles. It’s your boss.
I’m looking at the circuit breaker for 14P101-A.
Do you copy?
I copy.
You tell him which breakers to open, which switches to flip.
You’ve both done this many times before. You trust him. The
intern hangs on your every word; you can see the awe on her
face. Your colleague radios confirmation that he’s isolated
the breaker so you can check it. You place your hand on the
breaker handle. On that Monday morning, (the LFI will later
report the exact moment as 10:19 am) you rack it open.
Or you don’t rack it open. Maybe the intern pipes up in her
shrill voice. Sir, don’t we need a new permit to work? Maybe
you don’t want to be a bad example so early in her career
so you step back and you call the work ‘Preparer’ to prepare
an emergency permit and get the necessary isolation forms
ready to be filled. And that pause saves your life because in
that pause, your buddy radios back.
Confirm you wanted 14P101-B isolated.
But none of this happens. That call comes too late. Because
you rack it open. At first, nothing. And then a painfully white
flash sears your eyes as 11 kilovolts short circuits through your
body from a busbar that hasn’t been isolated. You don’t hear
the explosion that follows a moment later, hurling you and
the intern across the switch room. You don’t feel your body
crumple to the floor. Because you are dead. You didn’t plan to
die this morning. But nobody ever does. n
Pump B tripped…we need Pump A to start so we can drop
the liquid level in the surge vessel. We can’t afford to trip the
plant. If that pump doesn’t come up in an hour, we’ll need to
cut back on production and we won’t meet today’s targets.
The plant will trip. We won’t meet today’s targets. These
are words no field person wants to hear. You think of all
the hours it would take to bring the plant back up if it trips.
The last plant trip had taken over 18 hours of hard work to
recover. You and the intern burst into the switch room. On the
radio, you relay terse instructions to another colleague in a
different substation.
14 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
written by Osemhen Okenyi
Senior Field Supervisor (IC&A) – Gbaran Ubie
NEWS
SHELL COMPANIES IN
NIGERIA WIN LAURELS
AT THE 39TH NAICE SPE CONFERENCE
éé The Shell Community Health booth at the event
Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) emerged as the
best exhibitor among the International Oil Companies
(IOCs) that participated in the 2015 Annual
Conference and Exhibitions of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers. SCiN also won the second overall best
exhibitor award at the well-attended event.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Natural gas
development and exploitation in an emerging economy:
Strategies, infrastructure and policy framework”. Ubaka
Emelumadu, General Manager, Gas, who participated in
the event’s panel discussion shared that “For Shell globally
and indeed here in Nigeria, gas is the next frontier; it is the
future and it is our hope that the new Government will take
steps to make the Nigerian gas market conditions attractive
Continue next page
to investors.”
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 15
NEWS
A total of 170 technical papers were submitted during the
conference of which 35 were by SCiN employees. Sophia
Weaver, a member of the Bonga Sub-Surface team presented
a paper titled “Real-time borehole stability monitoring and
pre-drill model calibration using LWD Sonic”. The paper
prepared by Sophia, Xiaohui Xiao and Rob Vines won the
award for “2nd Best Presentation Paper”. Other SCiN staff
namely; Ajiri Ogedegbe, Ben Oboarekpe, Chima Emelle,
Edidiong Ekwere, Erasmus Nnanna, Etta Agbor, Felix Obike,
George Agbogu, Nnaemeka Umeh, and Ogedegbe Okurerie
also bagged SPE service and recognition awards.
éé SCiN Leaders at the event
éé Eddie Yacim, Tesh Omere and Tunji Sapara at the Awards dinner
The Shell Community Health and Recruitment teams were on
ground as usual at the exhibition stand to provide medical
services and recruitment information respectively to visitors
at the Shell booths. Another high point of SCiN’s outing at
the Exhibition was the showcase of two energy efficient cars
designed and built by Nigerian students for the Shell Ecomarathon events in Europe and Africa.
éé Sophia Weaver receiving the award for 2nd “Best Paper Presentation”
éé General Manager Gas, Ubaka Emelumadu (middle) participating in the Panel Discussion
16 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
At the Awards dinner sponsored by SCiN, Ubaka
Emelumadu said, “Our continued support of this conference
is a demonstration of SCiN’s commitment to NAICE SPE.
This conference provides a knowledge-sharing platform
for professionals as well as an arena for individuals and
companies to be recognised and this is something we are
pleased to be part of.” n
éé Osa Igiehon, Manager, Tech Integration and PE flanked by some members of the Exhibition team
Shell Companies in Nigeria - All our winners!
S/N
Name
Award Title
1
Ben Oboarekpe
Leadership Award as 2014 SPENC Chairman
2
Kefe Amrasa
Distinguished Service Award
3
Ajiri Ogedegbe
4
Chima Emelle
Service Award as Chairman of Sponsorship Committee 2014 NAICE
5
Etta Agbor
Service Award as Chairman of Panel Session Committee 2014 NAICE
6
Erasmus Nnanna
Service Award as Chairman of Technical Paper Committee 2014 NAICE
7
Edidiong Ekwere
Service Award as Chairperson of Family Program Committee 2014 NAICE
9
Felix Obike
Service Award as Chairman of Venue & Entertainment Committee 2014 NAICE
10
George Agbogu
Service Award as Chairman of Marginal Field Workshop 2014 NAICE
11
Nnemeka Umeh
Service Award as Chairman of External Communications Committee 2014 NAICE
Distinguished Service Award
Regional Service Award
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 17
ABIMBOLA TIJANI: SAFETY IN DESIGN IS MY MANTRA
Continued from p. 9
What has been the most challenging decision or
task you have had to handle as a career woman
and how did you handle it? What lessons did you
learn in the process?
I recall having to make a difficult career decision once. There
was an international assignment opportunity but in that
season, I had been doing a lot of travelling for work. The
timing was just not right for my home-life
situation. I turned it down. It was a fantastic
opportunity but I had to make a hard choice.
I chose to sacrifice; this is one thing we all
can appreciate. Times will surely come
when you will have to sacrifice something
you want for something you want more. In
this case, I wanted the job but I wanted more
to be there for my five-year old daughter at
that stage of her life.
through engineering design. As engineers, we need to make
things even safer… make things better. That’s our job.
You are a working wife and mom. How do you
balance it all?
As I said earlier, planning is important. Some years after
I joined Shell I was reading a Forbes report about the top
ten women in the corporate world. Most of
them acknowledged significant challenges
with having a family and rising to the top.
So, I realized then I had to develop clear
principles for balancing a great family and a
successful career.
High point in career to date?
That would be my time at Gbaran-Ubie
(GU) from 2003 to 2012 working as
Principal Process Engineer and later as the
éé Abimbola Tijani “...do the best you can,
Head of Interface and Risk Management.
wherever you can, whenever you can…
It truly reflected my reason for joining Shell
You can!
initially. It was a rewarding experience
particularly because GU is a facility that impacts thousands
of lives (contractors, communities, partners, staff and now
customers). I was very proud to be the one in charge of the
process engineering design of such a large facility. It was
hard work but it was worth it. Being a reference point and
hopefully inspiring others was an exhilarating feeling, and just
motivated me to do more.
And today, we can still see Gbaran reaping those
benefits. That’s great. But can you share a low
point in your career with us?
That would be the day I heard the news of the two road traffic
fatalities in Gbaran Ubie. The incident hit me and all my other
former GU colleagues hard. I had moved to Shell Rijswijk
when it happened but I still remember vividly, because it was
a huge loss, and we had all worked so hard to ensure no one
died on the project. I kept asking myself “What could have
been done better?” I took it personally, in a way.
Since that incident, there have been significant improvements
around road traffic management in GU and across SCiN.
Also, ‘Safety in Design’ is a mantra for me and I have an
incredible platform now to propagate that message. One
of our key focus areas now is reducing site construction time
18 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
I am one part of a Shell couple and we sat
together to discuss how we would handle
things in our careers such as international
assignment. We did not wait until that time
came to open discussions. We planned for
it and while it may not have been a perfect
plan, we were not caught unawares when
the time came.
Don’t allow what people think
or say about you determine your
journey in life. Avoid taking
advice from people with no
investment in the outcome.
What advice do you have for other working
women out there?
Don’t allow what people think or say about you determine
your journey in life. Avoid taking advice from people with
no investment in the outcome. Third party opinions should
not have the power to keep you from being greater. We may
come from difficult backgrounds or deal with challenges, but
it is possible to rise above these. So, don’t wait for anybody to
give you permission to excel.
Finally, do the best you can, wherever you can, whenever you
can… You can! n
DILYS-ANN OWEN’S EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION (EVP) STORY
THE LAGOS CRÈCHE
êê Dilys-Ann with her two bundles of joy
As part of its suite of family friendly policies, Shell Companies
in Nigeria (SCiN) run crèche facilities in Port Harcourt
and Lagos, to facilitate the quick and seamless integration
of female employees back into the work environment
post childbirth.
Dilys-Ann Owen, an HR Business Partner who has benefitted
from the crèche policy as well as other family friendly policies
shares her story with Shell World Nigeria.
“The greatest gift that Shell as a company has given to
nursing mothers is the provision of a crèche within the office
premises,” Dilys said.
éé Inside the Crèche and Early Learning Centre, Lagos
êê Lovely rocking chairs used to soothe the babies
At SCiN, for a period of six months from the end of the
12 week maternity leave period, a nursing mother is entitled
to two half-an-hour periods of break for the purpose of
nursing her child. Alternatively, nursing mothers may elect to
finish work one hour earlier than normal closing time, or start
work one hour later than the normal starting time.
This flexi time helps mothers who have babies in the crèche to
provide the needed attention and support their infants require
during this key developmental stage. Babies are eligible to
join the crèche from the age of six weeks and can stay on till
24 months.
“I got married in my late 30’s and grappled with a lot of
health related issues, first a myomectomy, then going through
miscarriages and then high-risk pregnancies but here I am
today, still working and carrying on like it was all normal.
The truth is that besides divine intervention which I thoroughly
believe in, Shell’s family friendly policies played a significant
role in the fact that I have my family with me here today.”
Dilys added.
For Dilys and a lot of other Shell mums, the crèche facilities
in SCiN’s office premises in Lagos Nigeria and Port Harcourt
are making a huge difference by providing the enabling
environment and support required to achieve the right
balance between being a “career woman” and a mum.
“Think about the load it took off my shoulders, I park my car in
the dedicated slots for mothers who use the crèche, drop off
my baby, go to my office, pop down at lunch time to feed him
and spend some time with him,” she said.
Dilys gives a lot of credit to her seamless integration back into
the work environment post childbirth to the Shell Employee
Value Proposition (EVP).
“Here I was, a 40+ year old first time mom who had been
a career woman all her life, suddenly having to deal with a
child right in the middle of my career! That I have been able
to function effectively is all thanks to the level of support I
have enjoyed. I work for a company that has put in place
policies that supported my seamless integration back into the
workplace. How do you beat such an EVP? You simply can’t. n
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 19
SHELL WOMEN ON THE ENVIRONMENT
EFFECTIVE TREE MANAGEMENT
AND ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY IN SPDC
RESIDENTIAL AREA, PORT HARCOURT
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Residential
Area (RA) is one of the largest and oldest estates in Port
Harcourt – capital city of Rivers State of Nigeria. The estate
covers an area of 1.7 km², located in Rumuokwurusi, Obio/
Akpor Local Government and was established in the early
sixties, shortly after oil was first struck at Oloibiri. Most of
the original forest trees were retained and embedded in the
physical development of the area and several ornamental and
economic trees were planted in the course of landscaping.
The RA has become a biodiversity rich area of Port Harcourt,
with its serene environment, well maintained streets,
drainages, lawns, gardens, and recreational areas.
éé Dead mango tree marked for felling (X) as
part of the RA Tree Management Plan
éé Well maintained premises along Oloibiri Road
20 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
Trees are of great
economic importance
and contribute immensely
to the sustenance and
improvement of life.
They add beauty to the
environment and provide
elaborate shade for outdoor relaxation. Some
species serve as avenue
trees and wind-breakers,
producing aromatic
fragrances and features
that appeal to the human
spirit. Others provide food,
timber, medicine, and industrial raw materials. They improve
air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and letting out
oxygen in the food-manufacturing process of photosynthesis.
Routine maintenance of the trees and general vegetation in the
area is predicated on periodic tree surveys and a well-structured
tree management plan executed by the Estate Services Team.
The major goal of the surveys is to determine the health and
safety status of each tree within the RA. This reduces the
prevalence of tree falling hazards within the facility.
Based on the 2015 tree survey there are 10, 866 trees in the
RA. There are 4, 909 Palms while 5,957 belong to other tree
groups. One thousand, five hundred and thirty-nine trees are
marked for trimming, 126 for felling and 16 for treatment. In
addition, in line with the biodiversity standard that stipulates
that for each tree felled, two trees should be planted, 389
trees are scheduled for planting. And in areas considered to
be bare, steps are to be taken to procure seedlings/saplings
for fresh planting.
With all these actions/measures, the sustainability and
enhancement of the ecosystem services provided by the trees
in the PHRA are guaranteed. n
Written by Sabbatical interns, Drs. Osondu Akoma and
Cliff Owuamanam. Supervised by Chinyere Ozumba,
Lead Biodiversity Conservation
éé Manicured lawn and trees (mostly palms) marking the boundaries of a residence
éé Chinyere Ozumba,
Lead Biodiversity Conservation
GOOD FOOD
GOOD FOOD
Salads: nourish the soul,
sustain the body
by Ozoz Sokoh
Much as I have a sweet tooth, I love almost all fruits and
vegetables (except celery). I believe they capture the very
essence of food. That food is more than just eating, more
than mere sustenance. I love the clear distinction in Brazilian
cuisine of comida – food that nourishes the spirit and soul; and
alimenta – food that sustains the body.
Salads are both comida and alimenta. I like to adopt a general
formula when making salads and it’s always about balance:
that combination of sweet and salty, spice and crunch.
Here are some salad recipes for you to try out:
nApple & cucumber salad with green bell peppers, spring
onions, mint/ cilantro/ scent leaves, lime/ lemon juice. The
Midas touch? A light seasoning of salt and pepper, to taste
éé Tapioca and coconut salad
éé Beetroot salad
nBeetroot
salad; beetroots meet kumquats, lettuce, blue
cheese, walnuts and orange segments
nBrown and wild rice salad with sautéed chicken,
caramelised onions and pawpaw sautéed in chili sauce with
dried cranberries and toasted pecans
nSpinach salad with strawberries, avocados and toasted
cashews
nTapioca and coconut salad with smoked fish, chilies,
peanuts, sesame seeds, mint, cilantro and lots of lime
So, these are a few recipe suggestions to get you started.
What are your favourite combinations?
Any tips to share? I would love to hear from you via
[email protected]
éé Ozoz Sokoh, Business Advisor, Exploration
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 21
FINAL WORDS…
BARBARA BLUM SPEAKS ON TALENT:
“WE, WOMEN MUST LEND
A HELPING HAND”
We are pleased to round up this
special edition of SWN with this
interview with Barbara Blum, SCiN’s
Gender Diversity Champion.
Shell Legal has a relatively good record
for developing and appointing females
to senior positions. In Nigeria, several of
the management positions in Legal are
currently held by women. This includes
my role as Associate General Counsel,
Upstream International (UI) Nigeria
and Gabon and Nike Olafimihan’s
role as Head of Legal. I am aware,
however, that this may not be the case
in UI generally or in some other parts
of the Group. In Nigeria, you can count
the number of women holding senior
leadership positions on one hand.
When I joined Shell…
When I joined Shell Legal in 1998,
my first line manager, Jyoti Munsiff, a
General Counsel and the Company
Secretary of the Shell Transport &
Trading Company, was one of the
most senior women in Shell. She was,
in many ways, a great role model for
female talent and helped me establish
a firm foothold on the career ladder
in Legal. While there are more senior
females today, I still find that after
17 years working in Shell, I am still
usually the only woman or one of a
small minority of women in most of the
leadership team meetings that I attend.
The fact that there are not more women
in senior positions, particularly in
technical roles, proves that there is still
more work to be done.
22 SHELL WORLD
Nigeria
Why we need more women on
leadership teams…
The business case for diverse teams
with inclusive leadership is well
established. It leads to increased
employee engagement and improved
quality of decision-making. This, in
turn, contributes to superior business
performance and competitive strength.
So, what is being done in Nigeria?
Earlier this year, I was pleased to be
asked to champion female talent in the
Nigeria and Gabon Talent Council
(NGTC). I knew this would provide
a platform for me to make wider
contributions. Working with the HR
Talent team and other senior female
leaders, we held a series of focus
groups in Lagos and Port Harcourt to
understand the challenges faced by
women working in the Shell companies
in Nigeria. We sought to find out and
understand the obstacles that were
hindering them from fulfilling their
potential and moving ahead in their
careers. A number of common issues
were identified which enabled us to
develop a targeted action plan. This
plan has been supported by the NGTC
and is now being implemented.
Is enough progress being made?
There is no magic bullet that will
change things overnight. It is
important that we keep diversity and
inclusiveness in the conversation just
like we do with safety. Much can be
achieved when you have committed
leadership setting the right tone
from the top like we have in Nigeria,
éé Barbara Blum, Associate General Counsel, Nigeria
and Gabon
as well as targets against which to
monitor progress.
Some of the key focus areas which
are seen as being enablers to
making more progress on female
talent development in Nigeria
include mentoring and sponsorship;
addressing unconscious bias and
micro inequities in the organisation
including in resourcing decisions;
and making flexible working options
available on a more consistent basis.
You can help too!
It is important to remember that making
progress on female talent development
is not just about what senior leaders do
but about the choices that individuals
make in their own careers. Women
can be change agents for themselves
and others through groups like Shell
Women’s’ Network. I would like to
encourage woman to develop other
women. Sharing experiences is one of
the best ways to do this. We, women
must lend a helping hand. Remember,
together we are and can do more! n
SWN BOOK CORNER
LEAN IN
WOMEN, WORK, AND THE WILL TO LEAD
by Sheryl Sandberg
In this edition of Shell World in which we have shone the
spotlight on our women in SCiN, this is probably the best
book to recommend. Many of us women, in one way or
another, at home or at work, are leaning back. It’s time to
lean in. Or if you like, it’s time to press forward towards
being ALL we were created to be. And we must do this in
spite of all the barriers the corporate world and society
knowingly or unknowingly have put in our paths.
Gender bias is real. We can’t deny it. Read ‘Lean In’
today and you will understand better.
“A feminist is someone
who believes in the
social, political and
economic equality of
the sexes” (Page 159)
P. S. This is also a great book for men who seek to be positive enablers in the lives of the women they work with.
SUPER WORKING MUM
by Aloted Omoba
This is a book that could serve as a
handy toolkit for working women and
mothers.
You know your typical handy-man box
of tools men usually have in the garage
or work shed? The one with tools of
different shapes fabricated to tackle
nuts and bolt of varying sizes? “The
Super Working Mum” is very much
like that handy box of tools because it
endeavours to provide a ‘tool’ to tackle
every ‘nutty’ issue of life you might face
as a woman, wife and mother.
Life’s issues are universal. All women
are the same to the extent that we go
through more or less the same things
albeit at different times and in different
ways. In this book, you should be able
to glean ‘secrets’ to living above the
mediocre line. There is a wealth of
wisdom here that has the potential to
transform your life should you begin to
apply it to your everyday living.
“All women are the same to the extent that we
go through more or less the same things albeit
at different times and in different ways.”
SHELL WORLD
Nigeria 23
LET’S KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL WHILE
THEYKEEP
CHASE
THEIR
LET’S
THEM
INDREAMS.
SCHOOL WHILE
THEY CHASE THEIR DREAMS.
Champions like Super Eagles star Ejike Uzoenyi and U-17 World Cup winner, Akinjide Idowu are examples of
talent that have captivated the country after emerging from the NNPC/Shell Cup - a secondary school football
competition.
the past
16 years,
theUzoenyi
competition
to Cup
discover
untapped
potentials
while
they areof
Champions
likeFor
Super
Eagles
star Ejike
andhas
U-1helped
7 World
winner,
Akinjide
Idowu are
examples
still
in
school.
With
over
3,000
participating
schools
and
directly
involving
60,000
students
every
year,
this
talent that have captivated the country after emerging from the NNPC/Shell Cup - a secondary school football
grassroots tournament
combine education
sports. untapped potentials while they are
competition.
For the pasthas
16helped
years, youths
the competition
has helpedwith
to discover
still in school. With over 3,000 participating schools and directly involving 60,000 students every year, this
Let’s discover more champions. www.shellnigeria.com
grassroots tournament has helped youths combine education with sports.
Let’s discover more champions. www.shellnigeria.com
LET’S GO.
LET’S GO.