By Christie U. Omonigho
Energy Window International (Media) – The Board of Seplat Energy has this day announced the appointment of Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed and Mr. Larry Ephraim Ettah as Independent Non-Executive Directors of the Company. The appointment takes effect from 1 January 2026.
Seplat in its email statement to EWI Publishers said the appointments which was in line with the recruitment process of the Board of Directors’ Succession Plan at Seplat, did not only follow the resignation of Mr. Bello Rabiu and Mr. Babs Omotowa from the Board in April 2025 but also due to their appointments to the Board of NNPC Limited.
Seplat described Engr. Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as a seasoned energy executive with over 37 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, specializing in natural gas development, commercialization, and infrastructure. Seplat also said he has served as Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer, Gas & Power Directorate at the NNPC, where he provided, according to Seplat, strategic leadership for major gas projects and policy frameworks, including the Gas Masterplan, Gas Network Code, and contributions to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
He also played, Seplat says, a pivotal role in conceptualizing and delivering critical gas infrastructure projects such as the Escravos–Lagos Pipeline Expansion, Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, and Nigeria LNG Train 7. Adding that his leadership role extended internationally, representing Nigeria at international oil and gas meetings.
Engr. Mohammed had held top executive positions as Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Company, and chaired boards of several strategic entities, including West African Gas Pipeline Company, Nigeria LNG subsidiaries, and NNPC Retail. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (FNSCHE), and a registered engineer with COREN. He holds a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Mr. Larry Ephraim Ettah according to Seplat is a highly respected Nigerian business leader with nearly four decades of corporate experience. He spent 30 years at UAC of Nigeria Plc (UACN), rising from Management Trainee in 1988 to Group Managing Director/CEO, a role he held from 2007 to 2018. As CEO, he reshaped UACN’s portfolio through strategic partnerships with global firms such as Tiger Brands, Imperial Logistics, and Famous Brands. He also led key acquisitions including Livestock Feeds Plc and Portland Paints Plc, repositioning the conglomerate for sustainable growth across multiple sectors, Seplat said.
Following his retirement from UACN, Mr. Ettah founded Barracuda Capital Partners Ltd in 2018, where he serves as Executive Chairman, holding several board roles, including Founding Director of Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd and Non-Executive Director of Mixta Africa Plc, and until February 2025, as co-chaired the board of LEAP Africa. He has chaired and served on the boards of several publicly listed companies and advised major consumer goods firms. He has played influential roles in industry associations such as Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and contributed to national economic policy through presidential and technical advisory committees.
Ettah holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Chemistry and an MBA from the University of Benin, complemented by extensive executive education from leading global institutions including Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, INSEAD, IMD, and the University of Michigan. “His international exposure, strong governance expertise, and broad sector experience underpin his reputation as a strategic, principled, and effective boardroom leader. Overall, he is recognized for his vision, leadership, and commitment to corporate excellence and economic development.”
Mr. Udoma Udo Udoma, Chairman of Seplat Energy said: “On behalf of Seplat Energy, I am delighted to welcome Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed and Mr. Larry Ephraim Ettah to the Board. Their experiences are complementary, combining extensive industry knowledge with extensive business success. We look forward to the significant contributions they will make in advancing the Company’s strategic growth objectives and driving our continued success”.