The Board of Seplat Energy has announced the appointment of Nigerian investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu as a Non-Executive Director, effective January 22, 2026.
The appointment follows the resignation of Olivier Cleret De Langavant as a Non-Executive Director, also effective January 22, 2026, the company said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Seplat recently announced the sale of Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA’s (M&P) 20.07 per cent shareholding in the company to a consortium comprising Heirs Holdings Limited and Heirs Energies Limited.
According to the statement signed by Edith Onwuchekwa, Director, Legal/Company Secretary at Seplat, De Langavant who joined the board on January 28, 2020 as M&P’s nominee rendered exceptional service during his tenure, providing strategic and technical counsel that significantly supported the company’s growth.
The board described Elumelu as a distinguished African investor and philanthropist, globally recognised as one of the most influential advocates of Africa’s economic transformation.
Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a diversified investment company with interests across key sectors 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, and Transcorp Group, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power and Transcorp Hotels Plc.
In 2010, he founded The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading philanthropy dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries. His contributions have earned global recognition, including being named among TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2020 and receiving the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022.
Elumelu also serves on several international boards, including UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council and the International Monetary Fund’s Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.
Commenting on the appointment, Seplat Energy Chairman Udoma Udo Udoma said the company was confident that Elumelu’s experience and leadership would strengthen its strategic direction.
“We are confident that Mr. Elumelu’s extensive experience and visionary leadership will significantly advance Seplat Energy’s strategic objectives and reinforce our commitment to sustainable growth and long-term success,” the statement said.
Udoma also expressed appreciation to De Langavant for his contributions over the past six years.
“On behalf of the Board and Management, I wish to express our profound appreciation to Mr. De Langavant for his outstanding contribution to Seplat Energy. We warmly welcome Mr. Elumelu to the Board and look forward to leveraging his wealth of experience as we continue to pursue sustainable growth and value creation for all stakeholders,” he said.
