Women make up just 18% of employees in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. In executive management, they hold 25% of positions. Beyond workplace equity, the absence of women from decision-making tables means gendered perspectives on impacts of oil extraction in host communities is often overlooked.
Why It Matters
Oil and gas drives Nigeria’s economy, but gender exclusion in this sector creates policy blind spots that lead to inadequate responses when things go wrong. Women in oil-producing communities bear disproportionate harm from spills and gas flaring: contaminated water, lost livelihoods, miscarriages, stillbirths. But because women are largely absent from corporate leadership and community negotiations with oil companies, these harms get deprioritized in risk assessments, compensation schemes, and remediation efforts.
The Current Situation:
A 2022 industry report found women account for 3,446 employees out of over 18,000 captured, that’s only 18% of the workforce. Women also represent only 25% of leadership positions nationally in the sector.
Zoom In:
The numbers are even lower when viewed at the community level. Findings from the Petroleum Industry Act PIA Research Report showed only 5% women’s participation in oil company activities in the Oleh community in Delta state
Bottom Line:
Research has consistently shown a clear relationship between corporate performance and the elevation of women in the workplace. Nigeria’s oil sector cannot continue to make decisions that affect millions without input from half the affected population. It makes the industry less effective at managing risk, protecting communities, and delivering sustainable returns.