The Women in Energy Network (WIEN) has called for urgent structural reforms to unlock women’s full participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, citing systemic barriers that continue to limit women across employment, leadership, and enterprise ownership.
The call was made during a high-level policy engagement with the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, where WIEN presented sector data underscoring the depth of gender gaps in Nigeria’s energy ecosystem.
According to WIEN’s presentation:
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Women account for 18.2% of Nigeria’s energy workforce.
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Only 25.6% of leadership roles in the sector are held by women.
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Despite more than 35,000 companies registered on the Joint Qualification System (JQS) platform, fewer than 2% are women-owned.
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Women represent just 17% of current STEM enrolments, signaling a constrained future pipeline for technical roles in oil and gas.
The data highlights persistent underrepresentation in a sector that remains central to Nigeria’s economy, foreign exchange earnings, and energy security strategy.
WIEN — led by its President Mrs Eyono Fatayi-Williams — also drew attention to the US$40 million Women in Energy Fund, supported through the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM).
While the fund was established to strengthen women-owned businesses in the oil and gas value chain, WIEN noted that it remains underutilized — not because of a shortage of qualified women entrepreneurs, but due to structural constraints within the procurement system.
WIEN explained that the current oil and gas contracting framework often requires companies to demonstrate Asset ownership, Proven technical capacity and strong balance sheets before they can access significant contracts. For emerging women-owned firms, this creates a structural loop.
No asset → No contract → No financing → No asset.
The Network described this not as a social or advocacy issue, but as a strategic economic concern.
“This is not a social issue. It is a structural and strategic issue. Nigeria cannot achieve its energy security objectives while half of its population remains underutilized,” WIEN stated.
Beyond workforce inclusion, WIEN emphasized the importance of women’s representation at board and executive levels within oil and gas companies.
Research globally has shown that governance diversity strengthens:
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Capital allocation decisions
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Risk oversight mechanisms
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Long-term institutional resilience
In a capital-intensive and risk-sensitive industry like oil and gas, inclusive governance is increasingly viewed as a competitiveness factor rather than a compliance exercise.
WIEN also flagged concerns about the future talent pipeline. With women representing just 17% of STEM enrolments, the sector risks reinforcing long-term technical imbalances.
The Network proposed:
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Targeted internships for young women
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Structured mentorship programmes
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Industry-backed technical exposure initiatives
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Stronger collaboration between energy firms and tertiary institutions
These measures, WIEN noted, are critical to building a sustainable, inclusive technical workforce for Nigeria’s evolving energy landscape.
Verheijen acknowledged the structural challenges presented and expressed commitment to promoting policies that prevent women from being economically locked out of the oil and gas industry before they have a fair opportunity to scale.
WIEN concluded that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is not about token representation.
Rather, it is tied directly to; Capital formation, Industrial competitiveness, Local content expansion and Long-term energy security.
As Nigeria seeks to deepen local participation under its energy reforms and navigate the global energy transition, stakeholders say structural inclusion will be critical to maximizing the country’s human capital advantage.
For WIEN, the message is clear: reforming procurement structures, expanding access to capital, and strengthening the STEM pipeline are not optional interventions, they are foundational to building a resilient and competitive Nigerian oil and gas industry.
