WIEN and KPMG sign deal to measure women's inclusion in energy sector

The Women in Energy Network (WIEN) and KPMG Advisory Services have signed an agreement to build what they describe as Nigeria's first benchmark for measuring how well the oil, gas and power sectors include women.

The memorandum of understanding was signed in Lagos on Tuesday. It covers three areas: a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) report, a verification process for WIEN's industry awards, and directories of women-owned businesses and women ready for board roles.

WIEN President Eyono Fatai-Williams said the aim is to replace general talk about inclusion with hard numbers. "It's important that we create a credible and reliable statistics to measure the participation of women in the industry and make improvements where necessary," she said at a press conference.

The group's conference chairperson, Bassey Adie, put it plainly: meetings on inclusion should be based on "data-driven facts" rather than abstract claims.

Why it matters

Nigeria's energy sector, from crude oil to electricity and solar, is one of the country's biggest employers and a major source of government revenue. Yet there has been no shared yardstick for how many women sit in its leadership, how many rise through its ranks, or how many own businesses that supply the industry.

WIEN says the lack of reliable data is a recurring problem in debates about women's participation. The new report is meant to fix that by setting a starting point, so progress can be tracked in later editions.

KPMG's associate director Chukwuemeke Igabari said the firm will help collect and validate the data, and will look at how companies build inclusion into their governance, policies and everyday practices. He noted that although the sector has long been male-dominated, women contribute across logistics, upstream and downstream petroleum, electricity and renewable energy.

For women running small firms that want to supply energy companies, the business owners' directory could matter most. WIEN says each business will be checked before listing, so organisations can find suppliers they can trust. A separate directory will list qualified women open to board appointments.

KPMG will also vet nominees for WIEN's awards, checking background, integrity and reputation, to make the recognition harder to question.

What happens next

The first DEI Benchmark Report will be unveiled at WIEN's gala night on November 11 at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos. WIEN says it will use the findings to press government and industry stakeholders on policies that widen women's chances in the sector.

The network says it has grown from 30 founding members in 2020 to more than 1,000 women, representing over 32 corporate organisations. It also runs board-readiness training, scholarships for girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and plans a WIEN Academy for technical training.