World Energy Council Africa Chair to Deliver Realnews 14th Anniversary Lecture
Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Regional Chair for Africa of the World Energy Council, Dr. Farouk Omar Ibrahim, will deliver the 14th Anniversary Lecture of Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited on Thursday, November 19, 2026, in Lagos.
The lecture, scheduled to hold at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, by 10 a.m., will focus on the theme, “Geopolitical Turbulence and Energy Security: Forging Strategic Opportunities for Africa.”
The event will be chaired by the Managing Director of NEDO Gas Development Company Limited (NEDOGAS), Engr. Debo Fagbami.
The Publisher and Editor of Realnews, Maureen Chigbo, announced the development in a statement issued on Friday, November 6, 2026.
According to the statement, Ibrahim formally accepted the invitation to deliver the lecture in an email sent to the management of the publication on April 13, 2026.
In the email, he expressed his willingness to honour the invitation, noting his longstanding relationship with the magazine.
“I am pleased to inform you that I have accepted the invitation to speak at the 2026 Realnews Annual Lecture. I’ve been part of Realnews from the founding and so have a duty to honour its invitation,” he said.
He also commended the management for the publication’s growth and encouraged it to sustain its work.
Ibrahim has served as the Regional Chair for Africa of the World Energy Council since 2022. He is also a member of the pioneer Board of Directors of the Africa Energy Bank, an institution established to address funding challenges facing the continent’s energy sector.
He played a key role in the establishment of the bank while serving as Secretary-General of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO) between January 2020 and January 2026.
Before his appointment at APPO, Ibrahim served as Adviser on International Energy Relations to four successive Ministers of Petroleum Resources in Nigeria.
During that period, he represented the country on the boards of several international energy organisations. He served as Nigeria’s Governor to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 2015 to 2020 and as an Executive Board Member of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) within the same period.
He also coordinated Nigeria’s participation in the International Energy Forum (IEF) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Association (APPA).
His experience in the oil and gas industry includes his service at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), where he was General Manager and later Group General Manager of the Group Public Affairs Division between 2010 and 2014.
Earlier, he spent seven years at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, Austria, where he headed the Public Relations and Information Department and served as a member of the organisation’s senior management.
He also served as Executive Editor of the OPEC Energy Review and Editor-in-Chief of the OPEC Bulletin.
Before venturing into the oil and gas industry, Ibrahim had a career in journalism. He was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of New Nigerian Newspapers Limited, a Federal Government-owned media organisation, between 1999 and 2003.
He had earlier worked with Daily Times of Nigeria, where he held various editorial and management positions, including membership of the Editorial Board, weekly columnist, Opinion and Editorial Editor, and Group Controller of Administration.
Ibrahim began his professional career in academia in 1981 as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Political Science at Bayero University, Kano. He later rose to the position of Lecturer before leaving the university in 1990 to pursue a career in journalism.
He holds a PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University, New Jersey, United States; a master’s degree from Bayero University, Kano; and a bachelor’s degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He has also written several books and articles on the oil and gas industry.
The Realnews Anniversary Lecture Series was established to bring distinguished personalities and professionals together to share their knowledge and contribute to discussions on national and African development.
The 13th edition was delivered by Dr. Musa Adamu, SAN, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on the theme, “Cybersecurity, Illicit Financial Flows and Achieving Agenda 2063 in Africa.”
Previous lecturers include former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ambassador Professor Ibrahim Gambari; former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama; former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo; and former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili.
Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited publishes Realnews Magazine Online, an investigative journalism platform with particular interest in the oil and gas industry and its environmental implications.
The publication says its anniversary lecture series is designed to promote informed discussions on issues affecting Nigeria and the African continent.
