Tony Elumelu joins Seplat board after Heirs Energies’ acquisition of stake in oil firm

By Abubakar Yunusa

Seplat Energy Plc has appointed Tony Elumelu as a non-executive director on its board, effective 22 January 2026.
Elumelu is the chairman of Hiers Energies, an indigenous oil and gas company that recently acquired a 20.07 percent equity stake previously held by a French firm in Seplat Energy Plc.
In a corporate filing on Thursday, signed by Edith Onwuchekwa, its company secretary, Seplat announced the resignation of Olivier Cleret De Langavant, who joined the board on 28 January 2020 as a nominee of M&P — the French company.
The statement said the resignation follows the announcement of the sale of Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA (M&P)’s 20.07 percent shareholding in Seplat to a combination of Heirs Holdings Limited and Heirs Energies Limited.
Seplat said Langavant rendered exceptional service throughout his tenure, providing strategic technical counsel and invaluable insights that materially supported its progress.
“The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CFR as a Non-Executive Director on the Board effective 22 January 2026,” the statement reads.
“Mr. Elumelu is a distinguished African investor and philanthropist, globally recognized as one of the most prominent voices on Africa’s transformation agenda.
“He is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a diversified investment company with interests across strategic sectors of the African economy, including energy, power, banking, insurance, technology, real estate, hospitality, and healthcare.
“He also serves as Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, Heirs Energies, Transcorp Group, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power, and Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s foremost hospitality brand.
“In 2010, he established The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy dedicated to empowering African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries.
“His global influence has been widely acknowledged, including recognition as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (2020) and the conferment of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (2022).
“He also serves on several global boards, including UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council and the International Monetary Fund’s Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.”
Seplat expressed confidence that Elumelu’s experience and leadership will advance the company’s strategic objectives and strengthen its commitment to sustainable growth and long-term success.
Speaking on the development, Udoma Udo Udoma, chairman of Seplat Energy, welcomed Elumelu to the board, appreciating Langavant for his outstanding contribution to the company over the past six years.
“His expertise and commitment have been instrumental in driving our strategic initiatives,” Udoma said.
The chairman said he looks forward to Elumelu leveraging his wealth of experience and leadership to help the company achieve sustainable growth and value creation for all stakeholders.