2024 Strategic Speakers

Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo is the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas) in Nigeria. A mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu (GCFR) on the 21st of August 2023. Before assuming his Ministerial role, Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo distinguished himself through dedicated service first as Chairman, Ika Local Government Area (LGA) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and then as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika federal constituency in the National Assembly from 2007 to 2011. During his tenure, he was secretary of the Akwa Ibom Legislative Caucus and the Chairman of the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Legislators Forum. He also served as Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Industry, while contributing to pivotal committees such as Customs Service, National Security and Intelligence, Power and the Niger Delta Affairs. He holds a B.Sc in Biology (Ecology) and a Master's degree in Environmental Pollution and Toxicology from the same institution. His notable contributions extend beyond academia into impactful governance, where as the Chairman of the Ika Local Government, he left an indelible mark by catalyzing the completion of an abandoned Federal Government Electrification project, thus affiliating the Ika Local Government Area with the National Grid for the first time in history. Such multifaceted experiences have endowed him with a profound academic grounding in environmental development matters, green energy, energy transition, and a robost practical understanding of industry intricacies. As HMSPR (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo is poised to steer Nigeria's resolute trajectory towards the development, industrialization and expansion of gas resources, embodying a steadfast commitment to the nation's energy evolution.