By Mary Onyia
Seplat Energy Plc has announced the appointment of renowned African investor and philanthropist, Mr Tony Elumelu, as a Non-Executive Director on its Board, with effect from January 22.
The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the company’s Director, Legal and Company Secretary, Mrs Edith Onwuchekwa. The statement also announced the resignation of Mr Olivier Cleret De Langavant as a Non-Executive Director, effective the same date.
Seplat Energy expressed its appreciation to Langavant for his service to the company and formally welcomed Elumelu to the Board.
Commenting on the development, the Chairman of Seplat Energy, Mr Udoma Udo Udoma, said the Board and Management were grateful for Langavant’s contributions over the past six years.
“On behalf of the Board and Management, I wish to express our profound appreciation to Mr Langavant for his outstanding contribution to Seplat Energy over the past six years. His expertise and commitment have been instrumental in driving our strategic initiatives,” Udoma said.
“We warmly welcome Mr Elumelu to the Board and look forward to leveraging his wealth of experience and leadership as we continue to pursue sustainable growth and value creation for all stakeholders.”
Elumelu is a leading African business leader with extensive interests across key sectors of the economy. He is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a diversified investment company with operations in energy, power, banking, insurance, technology, real estate, hospitality and healthcare. He also serves as Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, Heirs Energies and Transcorp Group, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power and Transcorp Hotels Plc.
In 2010, he established the Tony Elumelu Foundation, a foremost philanthropy dedicated to empowering African entrepreneurs across all 54 countries on the continent. His contributions to Africa’s economic development have earned him global recognition, including being named among TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2020 and receiving Nigeria’s national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic in 2022.
Elumelu also sits on several international boards, including UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council and the International Monetary Fund’s Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.
Seplat Energy said it is confident that Elumelu’s vast experience, leadership and global perspective will support the company’s strategic objectives and further strengthen its commitment to sustainable growth.
Langavant, who joined the Seplat Energy Board on January 28, 2020, served as a nominee of Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA. His resignation followed the sale of M&P’s 20.07 per cent shareholding in Seplat Energy to Heirs Holdings Ltd. and Heirs Energies Ltd.
The Board commended Langavant for his valuable service, noting that his strategic technical guidance and insights played a key role in supporting the company’s growth during his tenure.