Egbadon wins NELAL Award as Okoye urges investment in Nigeria’s future leaders

Comrade Lawrence Egbadon, a petroleum engineer and labour leader, has received the Excellent Leadership Award in Oil and Gas Sector Leadership at the 2026 National Excellent Leadership Awards and Lecture (NELAL) in Abuja.

The award ceremony, held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, brought together professionals and leaders from the labour movement, business, public service and civil society to celebrate outstanding leadership and examine the future of leadership development in Nigeria.

Egbadon was recognised for his contributions to workers’ advocacy, industrial relations and leadership in the energy sector. A trained petroleum engineer with a master’s degree in Engineering Management, he has built a career combining technical expertise with labour representation and conflict resolution.

His recognition came as the event’s keynote speaker, Dr Lotanna Okoye, called for deliberate investment in young Nigerians, urging leaders to build institutions and prepare the next generation to take up positions of responsibility.

Egbadon’s Rise Through the Labour Movement

Egbadon’s leadership journey began during his student years and developed further through his involvement with Junior Chamber International (JCI).

He later rose through the ranks of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), serving as vice chairman in 2013 before becoming chairman of the association’s Deep Offshore Chapter, a position he held from 2014 to 2017.

During his time in the labour movement, he participated in workers’ representation and negotiations at local, national and international levels. His professional development also included industrial relations training in Las Vegas, United States, and leadership programmes in the United Kingdom, Kigali and Nairobi.

In 2024, PENGASSAN’s national leadership invited Egbadon to lead a team tasked with restoring stability to his branch following a period described as one of serious internal challenges.

His efforts earned him an Excellent Service Award that year. He was also named Employee of the Year by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria in 2024.

Egbadon’s leadership responsibilities expanded in 2025 when he was elected chairman of the Chevron Branch of PENGASSAN. He continues to hold the position alongside his professional role as a Process Safety Engineer.

His subsequent honours include an award from PENGASSAN’s Labour Contract Branch for inclusive leadership and the PWC Personality of the Year Award from the National PENGASSAN Women Commission.

At PENGASSAN’s 2026 National Delegates Conference, the association’s national leadership also recognised him among its most supportive and result-oriented branch chairmen.

Beyond the workplace and labour movement, Egbadon has been associated with community support initiatives, particularly assistance to widows and orphans.

Colleagues and associates have described him as a bridge builder whose leadership approach emphasises credibility, composure, inclusion and the resolution of differences.

Okoye Challenges Leaders on Succession Planning

Delivering the keynote lecture, titled “Vision Beyond Today: Building Leaders, Institutions and Nations for a New Generation,” Okoye challenged Nigerians to rethink how they identify, mentor and prepare future leaders.

The Director-General of the Profession Public Speaking and Leadership Academy (PPSLA Africa) said leadership development should go beyond discussions about who would eventually occupy positions of authority. Instead, he urged leaders to ask who was being deliberately prepared to assume those responsibilities.

“Vision is accepting responsibility for what tomorrow becomes,” Okoye said, stressing that aspirations must be communicated, measured and actively pursued if they are to produce meaningful results.

He also urged leaders to assess their impact by examining whether the people around them were growing and becoming better under their guidance.

According to him, strong institutions must be capable of surviving beyond the tenure of the individuals leading them.

Okoye questioned whether an organisation that collapses as soon as its leader leaves could genuinely be regarded as an institution, arguing that such a situation may indicate excessive dependence on one individual rather than the strength of established systems.

He further warned that young Nigerians learn important lessons about leadership by observing the conduct of adults around them.

From the way adults conduct business and resolve disagreements to how they treat others, honour commitments and respond to challenges, he said, their everyday actions help shape the values and expectations of the next generation.

His remarks underscored the need for leaders to demonstrate the integrity, accountability and responsibility they expect young people to embrace.

Metamorphoses Targets 5,000 Young People Weekly

As part of his call for sustained investment in young people, Okoye announced the Metamorphoses youth programme, a weekly initiative designed to develop leadership skills and strengthen values among people aged 13 and above.

The programme is expected to operate across 30 locations in Abuja, with a projected reach of more than 5,000 teenagers every week. An online component is also planned to extend its reach beyond Nigeria.

According to Okoye, the initiative will cover leadership, values, vision, character, communication, purpose, entrepreneurship, technology and responsible citizenship, among other areas.

He called on individuals, corporate organisations and development partners to support the programme through sponsorship, mentorship and strategic partnerships.

The initiative reflects the broader message of his keynote address: that preparing young people for future responsibilities requires more than words, demanding practical programmes, sustained mentorship and collective commitment.

Beyond Awards to Building Future Leaders

NELAL 2026 brought together two complementary themes: recognising individuals for their contributions to leadership and encouraging a long-term approach to developing the leaders of tomorrow.

While Egbadon’s award highlighted his record in professional service, workers’ advocacy and labour leadership, Okoye’s lecture placed the spotlight on succession planning, institutional strength and youth development.

The event reinforced the importance of recognising accomplished leaders while investing in the next generation through mentorship, character development and opportunities to assume responsibility.

For Nigeria, the challenge, as reflected in the keynote address, is not only to celebrate those who lead effectively today but also to build the people and institutions capable of sustaining that leadership in the years ahead.