The Group President, Azikel Refinery, Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless receives a National Honorary Award as “Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR)” from President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The Group President, Azikel Refinery, Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless receives a National Honorary Award as “Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR)” from President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless (CFR) is a Medical Doctor, Industrialist and a celebrated Entrepreneur per excellence, who by dint of hardwork, passion for the nation and humanity established and owns the First Hydro-Skimming Modular Refinery in Nigeria. The Azikel Refinery is the first to utilize dual feedstock (Condensate and Crude Oil), with emphasis on condensate as the primary feedstock to produce refined petroleum products in support of the Federal Government’s drive for self-sufficiency.
The Azikel Refinery is unique in Nigeria in using condensate as its primary feedstock. Condensate is a byproduct of gas wells, and historically has either been re-injected into the wells or blended with crude oil. The lack of a market for condensate has constrained the country’s natural gas production and decreased the value of her crude oil. By using it as a feedstock, the country’s natural gas production can grow and the value per barrel of crude oil goes up. The benefit to the Azikel Refinery is that it enables it to convert 94% of its feedstock to marketable products of Petrol, Kerosene, Aviation Fuel, Diesel and fuel oil.
Azikel Refinery, with the capacity to refine over 12000 barrels per day and ramping up to over 25,000 barrels per day, brings to reality the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government Modular Refineries development initiative, launched in 2015. Azikel Petroleum Limited, which is the progenitor of Azikel Refinery, is a subsidiary of the Azikel Group, a conglomerate solely owned by Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless.
Dr. Eruani pioneered the establishment of in-country petroleum refining, a feat actualized by the establishment of the first Hydro-Skimming Modular Refinery in Nigeria. He is also a leader in the industrialization of Nigeria by creating jobs, guaranteeing sufficiency of refined petroleum products, averting youth restiveness and enabling both human and energy security in Nigeria.
As a pioneer owner of an in-country Refinery, Dr. Eruani blazed a trail to be emulated by others, signaling the possibility of building Refineries in Nigeria, thereby deriving value from the nation’s hydrocarbons, reducing forex flight from the country, ensuring security and creating wealth sustainability.
Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless was born on the 25th of December 1973 to the Royal family of King Allwell Eruani, Aguda IX, the Obanema of Emadike Kingdom in Bayelsa State.
Dr. Eruani obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 1999 from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He later proceeded to the United States of America for specialty training. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
In preparation for his venture into the business world, he studied at the Lagos Business School (LBS) where he obtained certification in the Owner Management Programme (OMP). He also studied at the London Business School, where he obtained the Senior Executive Programme (SEP) Certificate. To further consolidate on his academic empowerment for successful business management endeavours, Dr Eruani further studied at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School where he obtained the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) Certificate.
Following the completion of the one-year National Service that was served as a Medical Officer at the Seafarers Clinic, in the Port Health Services, Nigeria Port Authority, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he gained employment into the Bayelsa State Civil Service as a Medical Officer with the State Ministry of Health. He later practiced Medicine at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital and as a Resident Doctor at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. He was also an Industrial Doctor at Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC). His extraordinary medical prowess brought him to the attention of the First Executive Governor of Old Rivers State, Senator (Chief) Melford Okilo who appointed him as his personal physician.
Dr. Eruani’s distinguished service of excellence led to his appointment as the Special Adviser on HIV/AIDS and Community Health to the then Governor of Bayelsa State, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in 2005, where he also served as the Chairman of the State Action Committee on AIDS. While in office, Dr. Eruani instrumented a world acknowledged HIV/AIDS De-stigmatization Awareness Campaign which saw the three arms of government commit to the declaration and upholding of Commitment, Collaboration and Care to HIV/AIDS in a Three Arms Road Walk in Bayelsa State, led by the First and Founding President of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda along with officers of the United Nations; and this action led to the World Recognition and Acknowledgement of Nigeria as a Country with a leading strategy and focus in the battle against HIV/AIDS pandemic. This Action of Dr. Eruani plotted the Nigerian nation to a global recognition in Canada in the year 2006, at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
However, for these extraordinary achievements, Dr. Eruani was later appointed as the Commissioner of Health in Bayelsa State in the year 2008; and while in office as Commissioner, Dr. Eruani earned the Most Innovative Commissioner in Nigeria.
Never tired of exploring opportunities to improve the lives of Nigerians, Dr. Eruani, having identified the major obstacle to infrastructural development in the challenging Niger Delta terrain, decided to venture into private business of Dredging, Sandfilling and Reclamation. To this end, he established Azikel Dredging Nigeria Limited, solely for the purpose of providing sand in commercial quantity to facilitate the infrastructural development of Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta. As always, he made a huge success of this foray into business and Azikel Dredging Nigeria Limited grew with time to become the number one indigenous dredging company in the Niger Delta region and in South-South Nigeria. Thereafter, Dr. Eruani made further divestment into the businesses of aviation, power generation and petroleum refining. Today, these businesses have employees in the United States and United Arab Emirates.
Dr. Eruani, is a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Port Harcourt Foundation. In 2018, he received an award for business Excellence, Innovation and International Partnership from the United States Consulate in Lagos. In presenting the award, the Consul-General, F. John Bray, said the award and recognition conferred on Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless was for the advancement of societal growth and development and for putting the wheels of industry in motion. Furthermore, he commended him for the establishment of the First Private Hydro-Skimming Refinery in Nigeria, which is creating a multiplier effect in the Nigerian economy.
To this end, Dr. Eruani, through investments in the Azikel Refinery and other operating affiliates of the Azikel Group, is catalysing the long overdue new industrialization of Nigeria.
Dr. Eruani, having obtained US pilot license, enjoys flying for fun, reading, swimming and research. He is married with children.
We join the rest of the world to congratulate Dr. Eruani Azibapu Godbless CFR on this prestigious national honour.
