Accolade as Engr. Michael Ben Andino Honoured With NIPetGE Fellowship Award
Accolade as Engr. Michael Ben Andino Honoured With NIPetGE Fellowship Award
By Genesis ogiri
Beneath the glittering chandeliers of the Abuja Continental Hotel, where the air shimmered with the aura of prestige and professional pride, Engr. Michael Ben Andino was among the distinguished honourees conferred with the Fellowship Honour of the Nigerian Institution of Petroleum and Gas Engineers (NIPetGE) at the 2025 Annual Conference — a gathering that brought together icons, innovators, and thought leaders shaping the present and future of Nigeria’s energy landscape.
The event, themed around excellence and ethical leadership in engineering practice, radiated a deep sense of national purpose. It was a night that celebrated not just achievement, but the profound contributions of industry stalwarts whose intellect, sacrifice, and vision continue to steer the nation’s petroleum and gas enterprise towards sustainability and global competitiveness.
At the centre of the celebration stood Engr. Michael Ben Andino, a man whose four decades of distinguished service have left indelible imprints across Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector. Described by colleagues as “a leader forged in the fires of technical discipline and professional integrity”, Engr. Andino represents the quintessential petroleum engineer — resilient, resourceful, and relentlessly visionary.
Family, friends, and well-wishers converged in the evening, transforming the shimmering ballroom into a tapestry of admiration, joy, and professional celebration. The hall, adorned with soft golden lights and reflective accents, radiated an air of grandeur befitting the conferment of a Fellowship.
Born and educated in Nigeria, Engr. Andino earned his Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Benin in 1983 — an academic foundation that launched a remarkable career defined by continuous innovation and transformative leadership. He joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in 1986, beginning his professional journey as a Drilling Engineer on the historic Chad Basin Project. His exceptional grasp of drilling dynamics and operational management quickly set him apart as a young engineer with extraordinary promise.
His technical brilliance and pioneering mindset soon found greater expression as he became one of the founding staff of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). There, he distinguished himself as both a Drilling and Reservoir Engineer, contributing to early exploration milestones that expanded Nigeria’s indigenous oil development footprint.
Engr. Andino’s ascent to national prominence gathered momentum at Mobil Producing Nigeria (now ExxonMobil), where he shattered glass ceilings by becoming the first Nigerian Drilling Supervisor, overseeing rig drilling and workover operations. This landmark feat underscored not only his technical mastery but also his rare ability to manage complex offshore projects with precision, foresight, and leadership excellence.
However, it was at Conoil Producing Limited that his leadership reached full bloom. Over a span of more than two decades, Engr. Andino rose through the ranks — from Senior Drilling Engineer to General Manager, Drilling and Operations, and ultimately to Chief Operating Officer (COO). In these capacities, he orchestrated multifaceted operations spanning drilling, production, HSE, logistics, and corporate strategy, while steering the company through an era of significant asset acquisition and expansion.
Under his strategic direction, Conoil successfully acquired major assets including OPL 2007 (later OML 150), and he led the company’s technical team in the competitive bid for Shell’s OML 30 asset. His operational insights and managerial foresight elevated Conoil’s production profile and strengthened its reputation as one of Nigeria’s foremost indigenous E&P companies.
After a well-decorated tenure and retirement from Conoil in 2016, Engr. Andino seamlessly transitioned into private consultancy, where his wealth of experience became a beacon for industry investors, drilling projects, and asset development strategies. His professional influence, far from waning, found new expression as he took on the role of Group Managing Director of Eastlake Group — a dynamic, indigenous upstream energy player championing Africa’s oil and gas renaissance.
In this capacity, Engr. Andino continues to drive strategic growth, asset management, and partnership development, collaborating with regulators, investors, and host communities to advance sustainable exploration and production initiatives. His leadership at Eastlake has become a model for next-generation professionals seeking to merge technical proficiency with ethical and corporate stewardship.
An engineer’s engineer and a leader of men, Engr. Michael Ben Andino is widely admired for his technical depth, operational insight, and capacity to inspire excellence across teams. Colleagues and contemporaries alike attest to his calm authority, intellectual rigour, and unwavering dedication to national development through energy innovation.
In conferring the Fellowship Honour, NIPetGE recognized not merely a career of longevity, but a legacy of influence — one that mirrors the core values of the Institution: competence, ethics, and service to humanity. The symbolic induction further reinforces the critical place of indigenous expertise in the architecture of Nigeria’s oil and gas advancement.
As the applause echoed through the grand ballroom, with family, friends, and industry associates rising in ovation, the moment reflected the culmination of a life spent in pursuit of excellence. For Engr. Andino, the fellowship was not just an award; it was an affirmation — of service, of legacy, and of faith in the engineering ideals that continue to define Nigeria’s energy journey.
Indeed, Engr. Michael Ben Andino stands as a trailblazer whose professional story bridges generations — a torchbearer of innovation, and a symbol of what disciplined intellect and purpose-driven leadership can achieve in the vast, demanding world of petroleum engineering.
