By Moses Ebosele, ebosele@hotmail.com
Renowned African investor and philanthropist, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, has been appointed a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Seplat Energy Plc, effective 22 January 2026, strengthening the company’s leadership following recent changes in its shareholding structure.
City Business News reports that the appointment follows Seplat Energy’s earlier announcement on the sale of Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA (M&P)’s 20.07 per cent equity stake in the company to a consortium comprising Heirs Holdings Limited and Heirs Energies Limited.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Edith Onwuchekwa, Director Legal/Company Secretary of Seplat Energy, the Board also announced the resignation of Mr. Olivier Cleret De Langavant as a Non-Executive Director, effective the same date. Mr. Langavant, who joined the Board in January 2020 as M&P’s nominee, was praised for his exceptional service, strategic technical guidance and invaluable contributions that supported the company’s growth over the past six years.
Mr. Elumelu brings to the Seplat Energy Board decades of experience spanning energy, finance, power, technology and infrastructure development across Africa. He is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a leading African investment company with interests in energy, power, banking, insurance, technology, real estate, hospitality and healthcare.
He also serves as Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, Heirs Energies, and Transcorp Group, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power and Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s foremost hospitality brand.
Beyond corporate leadership, Mr. Elumelu is globally recognised for his commitment to Africa’s economic transformation through entrepreneurship. In 2010, he founded The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), which has empowered thousands of entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries. His influence has earned him international acclaim, including being named among TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (2020) and receiving Nigeria’s national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022.
He currently serves on several global advisory bodies, including UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council and the International Monetary Fund’s Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Udoma Udo Udoma, Chairman of Seplat Energy, said the Board was confident that Mr. Elumelu’s appointment would further strengthen the company’s strategic direction.
“On behalf of the Board and Management, I wish to express our profound appreciation to Mr. Langavant for his outstanding contribution to Seplat Energy over the past six years. His expertise and commitment have been instrumental in driving our strategic initiatives. We warmly welcome Mr. Elumelu to the Board and look forward to leveraging his wealth of experience and leadership as we continue to pursue sustainable growth and value creation for all stakeholders,” Udoma said.
Seplat Energy expressed optimism that Mr. Elumelu’s visionary leadership and deep understanding of Africa’s energy landscape will play a critical role in advancing the company’s long-term growth, sustainability goals and shareholder value.
