Anthony Adegbulugbe: Academic, Visionary, Entrepreneur Par Excellence

By Eric Elezuo

He is not just a force to reckon with in the field of academics, he is also a seasoned egghead in the world of enterprise, and has carved visible niches for both himself and the country, Nigeria. He is Professor Anthony Olusegun Adegbulugbe, a Nigerian of immense substance, charisma, flair and attendant discipline, as well as built to create, recreate and stand out positively in the maddening crowd.

In addition to his many firsts, and coordinated achievements, Adegbulugbe, who is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Green Energy International Limited, in the past few days shocked the universe, when he took another bold step, undertaking an ambitious assignment towards redefining the trajectory of the oil and gas industry, when he unveiled the humongous Otakikpo Crude Oil Export Terminal in Ikuru Town, Andoni LGA, Rivers State. The $400m Otakikpo project is the first of its kind since 1971 when the Forcados Terminal was commissioned.

Professor Adegbulugbe had described the terminal as a “game-changing national infrastructure.”

He added that “What we have achieved here is not just a storage solution, but a pathway for about 40 stranded oil fields to finally contribute to the economy.”

A statement signed by GEIL’s Executive Director of Legal and Corporate Services, Olusegun Ilori, prior to the October 8 commissioning, noted that the terminal aligns with Tinubu’s drive to boost crude oil production and address Nigeria’s long-standing evacuation challenges.

“This project is a strategic infrastructure that supports the administration’s commitment to raising output while reducing costs,” Ilori said.

It is also meant to alleviate the fears of industry operators, who have consistently highlighted evacuation bottlenecks as a major obstacle to meeting the Federal Government’s production target of three million barrels per day.

The event, which drew together stakeholders in the petroleum industry had President Bola Tinubu as the special guest of honour. The president was however, represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri.

With an initial storage capacity of 750,000 barrels, expandable to three million barrels, and a loading capacity of 360,000 barrels per day, the facility is also projected to reduce production costs for indigenous producers significantly.

THE MAN ANTHONY OLUSEGUN ADEGBULUGBE

Born April 2, 1955, Anthony Olusegun Adegbulugbe has proved that one can joggle through many legitimate endeavours, and still come out tops. A Professor of Energy Planning and Management, notable for his significant contributions to Nigeria’s energy industry, Adegbulugbe is not just a chip of the old block, but has remained distinct as an individual, who goes all out for whatever he sets his mind to achieve including mustering 5points GPA out of the available 5points in the university. So, being a visionary, a distinct academic and a prolific entrepreneur, all combined to make him the ultimate man and a reference point.

The scientist graduated with a B.Sc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ife in 1976 with a First Class and Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 on a scale of 5.0. He pursued his education further at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a D.Sc. in Nuclear Materials Engineering with a minor programme in Energy Planning and Management in June 1981. He also received certificates in Electric System Expansion Planning and Energy Planning and Management from the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States.

Additionally, he completed a course on International Gas Business Management offered by the International Human Resources Development Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts in 2006. Adegbulugbe’s educational exposure is vast.

Among a retinue of intimidating curriculum vitae, Adegbulugbe is the third chancellor of high profile Joseph Ayo Babalola University. He officially assumed office on December 8, 2023. Adegbulugbe served as a Special Adviser on Energy to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, and was a member of the National Economic Management Team, as well as the chairman of the National Gas to Power initiative between 2005 and 2007. The entrepreneur has seen days of challenging endeavours.Again, Adegbulugbe was a contributor to the inter-governmental panel on Climate change (IPCC) Assessments reports which won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with former US vice president Al Gore. He has played a crucial role in shaping energy policies in Nigeria.

After his series of accommodating educational tutelage, Adegbulugbe started his career as a visiting research fellow at the Institut fur Kernenergetik und Energiesyteme in Germany in 1984. He was appointed Project Director greenhouse gases emission reduction in Nigeria in 1994. He has held various academic positions, including director and professor at the Centre for Energy Research & Development at Obafemi Awolowo University from 1994 to 2010.In 2005, he was appointed by former president Olusegun Obasanjo as special assistant on energy matters, a position he held until 2007. He served as a senior advisor to the Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) from 2012 to 2013. Adegbulugbe was senior advisor Nigerian Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) until 2013. In 2014, he became the chairman and CEO of All Grace Energy Limited and Green Energy Limited.

According to Wikipedia, “Throughout his career, Adegbulugbe has been actively involved in shaping energy policies and plans for Nigeria. He played a crucial role in designing the Energy Master Plan for Nigeria. Adegbulugbe’s professional history includes a range of positions and projects. Adegbulugbe has also been involved in consultancy projects, including the Renewable Energy Masterplan for Nigeria and the evaluation of energy infrastructural needs and the role of the private sector in the oil, gas, and power sectors.”

Beyond founding Green Energy, Adegbulugbe is a member of many prestigious professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Knowledge Networks for Sustainable Energy in Africa (KNSEA), the International Association of Energy Economists (IAEE), and the Africa Energy Policy Research Network (AFREPREN).

He has also been decorated many times with diverse honours and Awards as his career trajectory progresses. Some of his decorations are:

Doctorate degree (Honoris Causa) of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) – 2017

Best graduating student Obafemi Awolowo University – 1976

Special Alumni Merit Award – 2003

Presidential Special Merit Award from the Nigerian Society of Engineers – 1992.

American Nuclear Society his outstanding research papers in the field of Nuclear Materials.

African Peace Man of the Year – 2023

FUPRE Excellence in Leadership and Corporate Integrity Award – 2021

Adegbulugbe is a symbol of the Nigerian never-say-never spirit. His ebullient responses to the challenges of living are testaments of the kind of strong character he is.

Anthony Adegbulugbe: Academic, Visionary, Entrepreneur Par Excellence

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Anthony Adegbulugbe: Academic, Visionary, Entrepreneur Par Excellence

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