Scholarship / To foster a healthy relationship between the petroleum industry and the Nigerian government [3]

CHEVENING NETWORKING ESSAY

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession.

Networking for me has been a daily routine owing to the realization that in the quest for knowledge, networking is inevitable. As an ardent listener, building effective and healthy relationships pose minimal problems to me. Building strong network with industry experts has set me on the right path in developing my career.

I am a member of professional bodies like the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). While undergoing my undergraduate program, I attended several conferences organised by SPE and NSE which availed me the opportunity of meeting and interacting with industry experts, learning new and existing technologies and having firsthand insight of the petroleum industry. Among the conferences I attended were Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE), Student Technical Conference and Exhibition (STCE), Student Technical Symposium and Exhibition (STSE) and Annual General Meetings (AGMs) all organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

My interpersonal skills are my strongest assets in building healthy relationships. When building and nurturing relationships, I maintain good communication with the people I meet through calls, emails, text messages and social media with the view to give and take feedback when necessary with respect to their opinion. This has enable me build healthy and strong network with industry experts and colleagues, acquiring mentorships in the process.

In the future, I plan to use my networking skills to foster a healthy relationship between the petroleum industry and the Nigerian government as well as instituting a platform where professionals and respective agencies come to interact with the view of proffering solutions to existing problems affecting the society. I plan to impart knowledge to people within and outside my profession and to maintain a healthy relationship with Chevening alumni and scholars in Nigeria and the world.