Dame Winifred Akpani’s story begins not in boardrooms or oilfields, but in the audit suites of Lagos. A mathematics graduate from the University of Benin turned trainee accountant at Oni Lasebikan & Co (later Ernst & Young), she honed her financial rigour before qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1990 at Arthur Andersen & Co (now KPMG).
In 1992, Akpani joined Flame Petroleum & Gas as Financial Controller. Five years later, she rose to Executive Director. But it was her daring move in 1998 that would define her legacy: launching Northwest Petroleum & Gas with just ₦200,000. She began by delivering diesel in 200-litre drums. Today, Northwest owns ultra-modern storage terminals with nearly 100 million litres capacity, mega filling stations nationwide, and official approval from NNPC to export crude oil.
Across nearly three decades, Akpani built her brand through grit, precision, and strategic growth. Northwest now negotiates international oil trades and holds stakes in midstream and upstream ventures. She also sits on boards of Millennium Oil & Gas, Northwest Energy Nigeria, and Fleet Travels and Tours, demonstrating her diversified leadership across energy, travel, and banking sectors.
Earlier this year she was invited alongside Uju Ifejika to speak at the Indigenous Oil & Gas Investors Summit in Lagos on “Challenges and Triumphs of Women in the Oil and Gas Sector.” Her presence reflects her position among Nigeria’s most accomplished female energy executives.
Akpani’s influence extends beyond business. As Chair of DAPPMAN since 2019, she has helped shape policy and champion indigenous oil marketers. Her leadership in civic and religious circles earned her the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from the Vatican in 2009, one of the Catholic Church’s highest honours for service to humanity.
Despite balancing a high-profile marriage, her husband Walter Akpani leads Providus Bank, the focus remains sharp. She and her husband welcomed their first child in 2018, but her professional momentum never slowed.
Akpani insists the oil sector is not for the faint-hearted. She emphasises diligence, strategy and integrity as non-negotiables. While others saw barriers, she saw opportunities, starting small, scaling deliberately, and never compromising standards.
In Dame Winifred Akpani, Nigeria finds more than a business leader. She is a model of what disciplined vision, technical skill, and unwavering resolve can achieve. From minimalist beginnings to oil industry titan, her journey speaks to ambition grounded in capability and a legacy still unfolding.
