Nigeria’s Omar Farouk joins WEC board

Sopuruchi Onwuka

Nigeria’s rising energy diplomat, Dr Omar Farouk Ibrahim, has been elected into the board of the World Energy Council, representing Africa in the world’s oldest independent and impartial membership-based energy organization.

Dr Farouk’s election enriches the council’s board participation with membership of global energy leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe and the America. The election was conducted at the Council’s Executive Assembly, held at the Energy Trilemma Summit in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Dr Ibrahim succeeds Dr Elham Ibrahim who served two terms in the role.

The WEC re-launches Dr Farouk Ibrahim onto the global energy diplomacy platform after his protracted stay in Vienna where he participated in running the external relations unit if the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for protracted period of time.

Dr Ibrahim who also worked closely with the late Dr Mohammed Barkindo and late Dr Rilwanu Lukman at OPEC returned to the same roles in Nigeria where he functioned in several oil diplomacy roles at the defunct Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which is now Nigerian National Petroleumm Company Limited (NNPCL).

Dr Farouk is currently the Secretary General of African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) where he coordinates policies for economic development of the energy starved continent in the face of global policies for transition from fossil fuels.

Dr Farouk Ibrahim is one of the eight new officers joining in the 14 member board that is headed by new Chairman of Officers’ Council, Dr. Michael Howard.

Dr Howard who is former CEO and President of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the United States succeeds Jean-Marie Dauger whose tenure has concluded after serving in the role since September 2019. Dr Howard served as Co-chair of the council alongside Dauger from 2021-2022.

Also elected by the World Energy Council’s membership at the Executive Assembly were a number of high-level Officers, including Kim Yin Wong, who will be the Council’s Vice Chair for Asia from 2022-2025.

Kim Yin Wong is the Group President & CEO of Sembcorp Industries of Singapore, and he succeeds Shigeru Sam Muraki who served two terms in the role.

Also elected is Patricia Vincent-Collawn who will function as Vice Chair in charge of North America from 2022-2025. She is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PNM Resources, USA.

Next in the list of newly elected members of the board is Naomi Hirose who is to function as Vice Chair of newly created board position in charge of Impact from 2022 to 2025. She is former CEO, TEPCO, and Chair, Japanese Energy Association (Japan).

Claudio Seebach is also elected into the new WEC board as Vice Chair in charge of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) with a tenure that spans from 2022 to 2025.

Mr Seebach who is the Executive President of Generadoras de Chile succeeds Claudia Cronenbold who has served two terms in the role.

There is also Dr Leo Birnbaum who secured additional year as that Chair of Studies Committee from 2022 to 2023. Dr Birnbaum, who is the Chief Executive Officer of E.ON of Germany, has held the role since 2019.

Also elected into the new board is Dr Klaus Dieter Barbknecht, who will serve for an additional year as Vice Chair in charge of Strategic Leadership Communities from 2022 to 2023. He is the Rektor of TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany); and has held the WEC role since 2021.

A statement from the WEC showed that the election did not affect five officials who retained their existing positions.

Norbert Schwieters remain the Chair in charge of Finance. Omar Zaafrani retains his position as Chair in charge of Communications and Strategy Committee. José Antonio Vargas Lleras is still the Chair in charge of Programme Committee.

Other unchanged officials are Fahad Alturki who is Vice Chair in charge of Middle East and Gulf States; and Beatrice Buffon who is Vice Chair in charge of Europe.

Dr Angela Wilkinson who is Secretary General and CEO of the World Energy Council, said: “I welcome the depth and diversity of experiences embodied by our new Board and value their support and commitment as generative and generous leaders of the world energy community and in our drive to transformational, transparent and trustworthy transitions.”

Dr Howard said: “Energy’s role in peoples’ lives today is more important than ever. With turbulence and turmoil in global energy markets, along with transitions and transformations underway in all geographies, the value of the independent voice and leadership of the World Energy Council has never been more essential and timely. I greatly look forward to working with my Board colleagues, our worldwide membership, and partners to help ensure that people and planet are at the heart of the energy transitions.”

The Oracle Today reports that the new board of WEC will drive the activities and programmes of the council in a new tenure starting from 2022.