Mr. George Osahan with his wife and NAPE President Olajumoke Ajayi received his 2026 Aret Adams award at the 44th NAPE Conference in Lagos.
…Calls for Knowledge Transfer, Skills Development
-Felix Douglas
Former Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and NAPE President, George Abiodun Osahon, has called for increased investment in technical skills development, knowledge transfer and the preservation of industry knowledge to strengthen the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Osahon made the call while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving the 2026 Aret Adams Award, the highest honour of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), in recognition of his contributions to the petroleum industry.
Visibly emotional following the presentation, Osahon described the recognition as particularly significant because it was named after the late Aret Adams, whom he regarded as a remarkable personality and an exceptional leader.
Paying tribute to Adams, he recalled his humility, accessibility and commitment to mentoring younger professionals, noting that the late industry leader had a unique way of making people feel comfortable regardless of their positions.
Osahon recounted that when Adams became Group Managing Director (GMD), he demonstrated uncommon humility by personally welcoming colleagues and encouraging younger professionals to interact closely with him.
He also recalled an occasion when he was invited to give an account of his stewardship on an industry assignment. Osahon said he was initially nervous ahead of the presentation but became more relaxed when Adams welcomed him with his familiar greeting, “Happy New Year.”
According to him, the simple greeting dispelled his anxiety and gave him the confidence to speak honestly about his achievements, challenges and shortcomings.
He said the experience demonstrated Adams’ exceptional leadership qualities, particularly his ability to inspire confidence, encourage openness and bring younger professionals closer to him to benefit from his experience.
Building on the late industry leader’s legacy, Osahon called for deliberate efforts to develop young professionals and strengthen the transfer of technical knowledge across generations.
He specifically highlighted the need to strengthen the NAPE Academy, describing it as an important platform through which the association could collaborate with industry stakeholders to develop professional competencies and technical expertise.
While commending NAPE for embracing technological innovations, he cautioned that digital solutions must be complemented by practical experience, particularly in critical petroleum operations.
“Unfortunately, you cannot virtualise drilling. You cannot virtualise discovering oil. It has to be something that is based on expertise, experience and knowledge,” he said.
He stressed that although virtual technologies could support certain technical activities, petroleum exploration and drilling still required specialised human expertise, practical exposure and years of accumulated industry experience.
Osahon also urged NAPE to collaborate with the Aret Adams Foundation to document the life, professional achievements, experiences and contributions of the late industry icon.
He observed that although many professionals were familiar with Adams and his reputation, his specific contributions to the development of Nigeria’s petroleum industry were not sufficiently documented or widely understood.
He said documenting his professional journey and wealth of knowledge would preserve an important part of Nigeria’s petroleum history and provide valuable lessons for younger generations entering the industry.
The former DPR Director further offered to contribute personally to efforts aimed at advancing the proposals, expressing his readiness to work with NAPE and other stakeholders to strengthen professional development and position the industry for the future.
He concluded by thanking the association and other dignitaries present at the ceremony, describing the opportunity to receive an award bearing the name of Aret Adams as a deeply meaningful experience.
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