Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited has appointed two experienced energy industry professionals to its Board, a move aimed at strengthening its succession planning as the company positions itself to take advantage of new opportunities within Nigeria’s changing oil and gas sector.
In a statement announcing the appointments, Abdulrazaq Isa, the Board Chairman, said the appointments were intended to strengthen leadership continuity and oversight.
“Both executives have played key roles in shaping the company’s direction in recent years, and the Board believes they are well positioned to lead the next phase,” he said.
The statement also announced the appointment of Taiwo Adeniji to its Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in July 2025.
Below is a portfolio of each board member:
Oladapo Filani — Managing Director
Filani, a petroleum engineer with over 26 years’ experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, was appointed Managing Director after serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer since 2023.
In his new role, he is responsible for the overall management of Waltersmith’s upstream, midstream gas and downstream operations.
Before joining Waltersmith Petroman, Filani was Deputy General Manager, Corporate Strategy and Business Delivery at First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company.
He previously worked at Eland Oil & Gas as Asset Development Manager and spent nearly two decades at Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited, rising from Reservoir Engineer to Senior Manager, Planning and Gas Development.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MBA in Oil and Gas Management from Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University.
Alex Osho — Executive Director, Finance and Commercial
Osho was appointed Executive Director following his tenure as Waltersmith Petroman’s Chief Financial Officer from December 2019 to January 2023 and, more recently, as Group Chief Operating Officer from February 2023.
He has over 20 years’ experience across energy, investment banking and consulting. Before joining Waltersmith, Osho served as Associate Director and Head of Advisory and Equity Capital Markets at FBNQuest Merchant Bank, where he led major restructuring and advisory transactions, including work for the Federal Government on power sector privatisation. He has also held senior roles at Barclays Africa, KPMG, Oando and FBN Capital.
Osho holds a First-Class Degree in Accounting from the University of Benin and an MBA from INSEAD. He is a CFA Charter Holder and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
Taiwo Adeniji — Independent Non-Executive Director
Adeniji joined the Board in July 2025 as an Independent Non-Executive Director, bringing more than 30 years’ experience in development finance, infrastructure investment and project finance across Africa.
