Nigerian energy veteran Layi Fatona has been appointed chairman of the board of ND Western Limited, a move that brings a long-serving industry figure back into a leadership role at a company he helped shape in its early years. The appointment is expected to support the company’s next phase of operational focus in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector.

As a petroleum geologist and executive with over four decades of experience, Fatona played a key role in building Aradel Holdings as the pioneer managing director of Niger Delta Petroleum Resources. He holds a geology degree from the University of Ibadan and a master’s and doctorate in petroleum geology and sedimentology from Imperial College London.

Layi Fatona: Pioneer behind Ogbele field production

Fatona’s technical and management work has been closely tied to early marginal field development in Nigeria. He played a central role in the Ogbele field, where production began in 2005 from Nigeria’s first marginal field development. That project became a reference point for early independent oil production in the country and helped demonstrate the viability of smaller-scale field operations outside the major international oil companies.

Early on he also oversaw early efforts that expanded beyond crude production, including gas processing initiatives and early steps toward refinery licensing linked to the Ogbele asset in Rivers State. Those developments contributed to the gradual shift toward a more integrated operating model within the business that would later evolve into Aradel.

Upstream focus drives ND Western

ND Western Limited was formed in 2011 as a joint venture involving Aradel, Petrolin Trading, FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company, and Walter-Smith Exploration and Production. The structure was created following agreements tied to the transfer of participating interests from the NNPC/Shell/Total/Agip joint venture, with full operations beginning in 2012.

Since then, ND Western has concentrated on upstream oil and gas development, with emphasis on asset management and steady production growth. Aradel’s increased stake, now at 81.67%, further tightens the link between both companies and underscores the strategic importance of ND Western within its broader portfolio of energy investments.