KPMG, WIEN Partner To Establish Nigeria’s First Energy Sector DEI Benchmark

KPMG Advisory Services has partnered with the Women in Energy Network (WIEN) to establish Nigeria’s first industry benchmark and standards for measuring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the oil, gas and power sectors, in a move aimed at accelerating women’s participation in the energy industry.

The partnership is designed to promote evidence-based assessment of gender representation, strengthen accountability for inclusive workplace practices, enhance the credibility of industry awards and expand women’s access to leadership and business opportunities.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will develop a DEI Benchmark Report, introduce independent due diligence procedures for WIEN’s industry awards and establish directories of qualified female board candidates and women-owned businesses.

The partnership was formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday, providing a framework for measuring progress in diversity and inclusion, strengthening confidence in industry recognition and improving the visibility of women capable of contributing to the sector’s growth.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, WIEN President, Mrs Eyono Fatai-Williams, said the initiative would provide evidence to inform policy decisions, promote accountability and track progress in advancing gender diversity and inclusion across the energy industry.

She explained that the proposed benchmark would provide a basis for periodic industry reporting, enabling stakeholders to assess gender representation, identify gaps and determine areas requiring improvement.

According to her, the report would offer an evidence-based assessment of industry performance and highlight opportunities for organisations to strengthen their policies, governance structures and workplace practices to promote inclusion.

On the WIEN Industry Awards, Fatai-Williams said KPMG would support due diligence and the vetting of nominees through relevant background, integrity and reputational assessments.

She said the process would strengthen the credibility of the awards by ensuring that the achievements, professional standing and contributions of recognised individuals and organisations were properly assessed.

Another component of the agreement is the establishment of the WIEN Board-Ready Candidates Directory and the WIEN Business Owners Directory to improve women’s access to leadership positions and commercial opportunities across the energy value chain.

Fatai-Williams said the Board-Ready Candidates Directory would increase the visibility and accessibility of qualified women seeking board appointments, while the Business Owners Directory would assess eligible women-owned enterprises against agreed qualification criteria and relevant industry requirements.

She added that the directories would help organisations identify qualified female professionals for board positions and capable women-owned businesses for partnerships and service provision across the industry.

The broader objective, she said, was to promote evidence-based decision-making, strengthen confidence in industry recognition and expand women’s participation in leadership and business development.

“The collaboration reflects a commitment to building a more inclusive and accountable energy industry in which women’s capabilities, leadership, potential and business contributions are recognised and their participation is strengthened,” Fatai-Williams said.

Speaking on behalf of KPMG, the firm’s Associate Director, Chukwuemeke Igabari, said the partnership would help ensure that women’s contributions to the energy industry received greater recognition and support.

He noted that although the sector had traditionally been male-dominated, women continued to make significant contributions across various segments, including logistics, upstream and downstream petroleum operations, electricity and renewable energy.

Igabari said the benchmark report would enable organisations to evaluate whether their policies, processes and governance structures provided women with equitable opportunities to participate, develop professionally and advance into leadership positions.

He added that KPMG would work with WIEN to collect and validate the data required for the report, which is expected to establish a baseline for measuring progress in subsequent editions.

The report is expected to provide energy companies and other industry stakeholders with a framework for assessing their performance on gender representation and inclusion while identifying areas requiring targeted interventions.

WIEN also announced that the inaugural DEI Benchmark Report would be unveiled at its gala night scheduled for November 11 at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The report is expected to provide data for assessing women’s representation and participation across the energy sector, tracking changes over time and encouraging organisations to demonstrate measurable progress in diversity, equity and inclusion.

The partnership seeks to move discussions on gender inclusion in Nigeria’s energy industry beyond general commitments towards measurable performance, greater accountability and improved access to leadership and commercial opportunities for women.