Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune

Creating Prosperity on the African continent.
Executive Director, @oando_plc, Managing Director, Oando Energy Resources (OER), IG: AinojieAlexIrune

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

At last year’s @NOGEnergyWeek, I noted that capital follows opportunity, not need. Our industry can only earn global confidence by demonstrating security, sound policy, and operational excellence. The regulator’s transition from authority to partner was the strongest indication that this mindset is taking root.

One year later, we are beginning to see what that shift can produce. At #NOG26, it became clear that optimism in the sector is now supported by tangible results, not just aspirations.

Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, Renaissance, and Oando exemplify this progress amongst others. Waltersmith’s expansion to 10,000 barrels per day demonstrates our capacity to build at scale. Renaissance’s recent offshore discovery at JK-004 confirms our ability to achieve world-class exploration results. Oando’s 32% year-on-year production growth and the successful delivery of its first 3 operated development wells at Obiafu and Idu show that indigenous operators can execute complex field development while increasing production responsibly. Collectively, these achievements demonstrate that indigenous capability is not aspirational; it is our current reality.

Equally important, regulation is shifting from a barrier to a driver of growth. This is critical for scaling production, as industry growth depends on an ecosystem with strong institutions, skills, technology, and capital. To achieve the 3 million barrels per day target, we must also focus on creating conditions that enable more companies to grow.

During the discussion on production optimisation and maximising investment in the new energy landscape, I was asked what headline I would like to read by NOG 2030.

My answer: Nigeria has created three or four more companies like Renaissance.

The headline should focus not only on increased production, but on developing more industry leaders.

None of this progress occurs in isolation. It is possible because there is a platform for open dialogue, critical examination, and measurable progress. Congratulations to the NOG Energy Week Conference & Exhibition team on 25 years of fostering this environment. The discussions held there continue to challenge our perspectives, strengthen the industry, and help build the future we all strive for.

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

It was an honour to welcome Honourable Ministers @senlokpobiri @Ekperikpe001, NNPC leadership @BBOjulari and the Special Adviser on energy to the President @OluVerheijen, to the @oando_plc booth on Day 1 of the @nogenergyweek strategic conference and to share our ambitions, particularly the role we believe gas must play in Nigeria’s next phase of growth.

Our booth tells the Oando story - from where we’ve come from to where we’re going. As always, the #HumansOfOando turned it into an experience, bringing that journey to life for everyone who walked through it.

It’s a reminder that companies don’t build themselves. Their stories are written by people who are willing to think differently, embrace change and do the work of building what comes next.

[Scuderia Ferrari HP @ScuderiaFerrari]

A message from Lewis to you ❤️🇪🇸

[Formula 1 @F1]

Yes, Lewis! 👊

#F1 #BarcelonaGP

[Formula 1 @F1]

HE’S DONE IT!!! 🤩

LEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA GRAND PRIX!!! 🏆🎉

#F1 #BarcelonaGP

[Lewis Hamilton @LewisHamilton]

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

Happy Birthday Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari @BBOjulari

Wishing you a year filled with good health, great company, and abundance in every sense. I hope this year is your best yet 🙏🏾

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

Eid Mubarak.
May Allah shower your families with His blessings, keep you in good health, and fill your homes with happiness.

[Arsenal @Arsenal]

This belongs to all of us.

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

A friend of mine is building a business, and she has been at it long enough to know it works. The product is there, the customers are there, and the next step is clear: go out and raise the investment to scale it. But every time we speak, she finds another reason why she is not quite ready yet. She needs to understand the numbers better and be more polished in her presentation. She needs to know more before she can sit in those rooms.

I understand that feeling. A lot of my career has required me to walk into rooms where I did not have the most obvious background. After years in research and technology, I moved back to Nigeria and found myself in infrastructure finance. I did not have a finance background in the traditional sense, but the work was in front of me, so I learned what I needed to learn and did the work. That pattern has repeated itself many times throughout my journey - business optimisation, communications, corporate services, and now upstream leadership.

Research teaches you that ignorance is a starting point. You begin with very little, you read, ask questions, test your assumptions, and stay with the problem long enough to become useful. Sometimes that means teaching yourself. Sometimes it means finding the people who already know and being humble enough to learn from them. Over time, you stop being embarrassed by what you do not know and become more interested in what it will take to close the gap.

The rooms will teach you what you need to know. You close the gap by being in the conversation, not by waiting outside it until you feel worthy of the invite.

[deni @fiagirly]

LEWIS HAMILTON SECURES HIS FIRST PODIUM WITH FERRARI AT THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX!! 🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

Happy Birthday, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri @senlokpobiri

Thank you for your service and for the role you continue to play in shaping the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Wishing you strength, good health, and continued success in the year ahead.

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

@Oando_PLC Good luck guys. . . Make us proud 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[Oando PLC @Oando_PLC]

In a conversation with The Energy Year, Dr. Ainojie Alex Irune, Managing Director, OERNL, explains how assuming operatorship has shifted both accountability and execution.

With over a billion barrels still in the subsurface, he emphasises the importance of extracting resources efficiently and at the right cost.

The piece offers insight into how indigenous leadership is changing expectations across Nigeria’s energy sector.

Read the full article here: https://t.co/spaPCrxA4t

#oandospeaks #theeraofus

[TheEnergyYear @TheEnergyYear]

Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune of Oando Energy Resources talks about what the shift to indigenous control means for #Nigeria’s #oilandgas future.

#upstream #energy #localcontent #drilling

https://t.co/HvdiOUBsnq

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

@tanzilive Hi Chinonso,
I sent you a DM.

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

Happy New Year ✨

[sin ⁴⁴ @44britcedes]

a daily reminder:

“…I think a lot of people are struggling to find that purpose but it’s okay. You will find it. Do not give up. Keep getting up. Just keep saying those things to yourself and you will eventually find it.” ❤️‍🩹

[Oando PLC @Oando_PLC]

After a successful acquisition of NAOC in 2024, 2025 was the year to deepen our integration and transition to impact.

This Oando film follows our integration journey and the work done throughout 2025 to harmonize our culture, engage our host communities and ramp up production across our assets.

Watch the film on Oando YouTube.

https://t.co/9CrgqYq7Nj

#theeraofus #humansofoando #2025yearinreview

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

I’m ending 2025 with gratitude. For the people who showed up, the lessons learned, and the discipline this year required.

I hope 2026 brings each of us the ability to be intentional with time, energy, and the things that matter most.

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

The past 12 months have asked more of me than any other period I can remember, particularly in how energy is deployed and sustainability is tested.

Here's what the year reinforced:

[Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune @airune]

Intentionality is a discipline that shows up in everyday decisions.