By Desire Uzochukwu
Women’s representation in Nigeria’s oil, gas and power sectors is set to come under closer scrutiny as the Women in Energy Network (WIEN) partners KPMG Advisory Services to develop the country’s first industry benchmark for measuring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
The initiative, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday, is designed to move conversations about gender inclusion beyond corporate commitments to measurable progress, stronger accountability and improved access to leadership and business opportunities for women.
Under the partnership, both organisations will develop a DEI Benchmark Report, introduce independent due diligence procedures for WIEN’s industry awards and establish directories of qualified female board candidates and women-owned businesses.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, WIEN President, Mrs Eyono Fatai-Williams, said the benchmark would provide the evidence needed to assess women’s representation and identify gaps requiring urgent attention across the energy industry.
She said the report would enable stakeholders to measure progress, strengthen accountability and identify opportunities for organisations to improve their policies, governance structures and workplace practices.
According to her, the initiative would provide an evidence-based assessment of industry performance, helping organisations determine whether their commitments to gender diversity were translating into meaningful outcomes.
“The collaboration reflects a commitment to building a more inclusive and accountable energy industry in which women’s capabilities, leadership, potential and business contributions are recognised and their participation is strengthened,” Fatai-Williams said.
KPMG to strengthen awards credibility
Beyond measuring inclusion, the partnership will introduce independent vetting procedures for nominees at the WIEN Industry Awards, with KPMG supporting background checks and integrity and reputational assessments.
Fatai-Williams said the process would strengthen the credibility of the awards by ensuring that the achievements and professional standing of individuals and organisations recognised for their contributions to the sector were properly assessed.
The partnership will also establish two directories aimed at widening women’s access to decision-making positions and commercial opportunities.
The WIEN Board-Ready Candidates Directory will showcase qualified female professionals seeking board appointments, while the WIEN Business Owners Directory will identify eligible women-owned enterprises based on agreed qualification criteria and industry requirements.
Fatai-Williams said the directories would make it easier for organisations to identify qualified female board candidates, business partners and service providers, thereby improving women’s visibility in corporate governance and the energy industry’s commercial value chain.
Women are contributing across the value chain
Speaking on behalf of KPMG, the firm’s Associate Director, Chukwuemeke Igabari, said the partnership would help ensure that women’s contributions to the energy sector received greater recognition and support.
He noted that although the industry had traditionally been male-dominated, women were making significant contributions across logistics, upstream and downstream petroleum operations, electricity and renewable energy.
Igabari said the benchmark would help organisations evaluate whether their policies, processes and governance structures offered women equitable opportunities to participate, develop professionally and advance into leadership positions.
He added that KPMG would collaborate with WIEN to collect and validate the data required for the report, which would serve as a baseline for measuring progress in subsequent editions.
The exercise is expected to provide stakeholders with a clearer picture of the state of gender diversity in the industry and help identify areas where targeted interventions may be necessary.
Report to be unveiled in November
WIEN said the inaugural DEI Benchmark Report would be unveiled at its gala night scheduled for November 11 at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The report is expected to provide an initial reference point for assessing women’s participation across Nigeria’s energy industry and tracking changes over time.
By combining industry data, independent vetting and directories of female professionals and women-owned businesses, the WIEN-KPMG partnership seeks to create practical mechanisms for improving representation and expanding access to opportunities.
The initiative also places renewed emphasis on the role of measurable data in evaluating corporate inclusion efforts, with its long-term impact likely to depend on industry participation, the quality of information collected and how organisations use the findings to improve their practices.
