Buhari to confer OON National Honour on Gabriel Ogbechie, Rainoil Boss

Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie, the Group Managing Director of Rainoil Limited, a leading indigenous energy company and 437 other nominees are to be conferred with the National Honours Award by President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on October 11, 2022.

A letter signed by Senator George Akume, Minister of Special Duties, and Inter-governmental Affairs affirmed that 5 persons were nominated to receive the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), 54 persons for the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) and 67 persons for the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Also listed were 64 persons for the award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), 101 persons for the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), 75 persons for the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), 56 persons for Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and 8 for the Federal Republic Medal (FRM).

Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie is to be conferred with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award for his immense contribution to the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. Beyond establishing one of the foremost companies in the sector, he has distinguished himself as a dynamic business administrator, innovator, technocrat and exhibited consistent integrity across a career that has spanned over 30 years.

The Letter confirmed that the approval of the award was in the exercise of President Muhammadu Buhari’s power as enshrined in the National Honours Act No 5 of 1964.

Dr. Ogbechie is a graduate of Production Engineering from the University of Benin, Nigeria and holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Technology Management from Novena University, Nigeria.

He founded Rainoil Limited in 1997 and has overseen the growth of the Group’s business operations grow to span across the entire downstream value chain, as well as agro- allied, real estate and hospitality sectors. Critical assets include; 3 ultra-modern petroleum product storage depots in Oghara-Delta State, Calabar-Cross River State and Ijegun Egba-Lagos State); an 8,000 metric tonne LPG bulk storage facility in Ijegun-Egba, Lagos State; over 150 retail outlets and LPG plants spread across the country; a fleet of over 200 petroleum product tank trucks and over 40 LPG trucks for efficient delivery of products to our network of stations and customers across the country.

In his capacity as Group Managing Director, he oversees a staff strength of over 2,000. He has always led from the frontline, with a hands-on involvement in operations. At a time of limited indigenous participation, he identified opportunities within the oil and gas space. In 1997, he founded Rainoil Limited, which he has guided from modest beginnings to a company with operations across the downstream value chain. He pioneered the petroleum product bulk storage investment in the Oghara axis of Delta State, which is today a critical hub for petroleum product supply in the country.

He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s 57th Owner President Management Program and a pioneer member of the Lagos Business School Owner Management Programme.

Dr. Ogbechie seats on the board of several companies operating in the financial services, oil and gas, agro-allied and real estate sectors. These include Norsworthy Investments Limited, Fynefield Petroleum Company Limited, Gobel Marine Services Limited and Eterna Plc.

Being a man of many parts and a strong believer of giving back to his roots. Through the Gabriel Ogbechie Foundation and Rainoil Community Empowerment Programme, he has supported several humanitarian initiatives including academic and sports scholarships, financial support to orphanages in Lagos and Abuja, provision of physical infrastructures and public amenities in local communities in Delta State, medical outreaches, and employment opportunities in Rainoil host communities.

He is a recipient of several awards including: Downstream Company of the Year Award at the 2020- Business Day Nigerian Business Leadership Awards  Downstream Man of the Year Award at the 2018 Oil Trading and Logistics Conference Finalist at the 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Champion Newspaper 2021 Corporate Leader Of The Year Award.

Among his hobbies is playing lawn tennis, which he is passionate about. He is married to Godrey Ogbechie and they are blessed with three children.