Effurun, in Delta State, Nigeria, witnessed an unusual influx of the creme de la creme of the Nigerian Society, on Saturday, the 18th of June, 2022, as Engineer Alfred Irabor Okoigun, an accomplished Nigerian industrialist, was confered with an Honourary Doctorate Degree by the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE ).
A well deserved honour as stated by the duo of Architect Charles Majoroh, President-General Worldwide, Government College Old Boys Association and Dan. Ekoko, President, of the Lagos branch of the same association, Engr. Okoigun, a dedicated mariner, a quintessential innovator has continued to fly the flag of excellence through his many achievements in the field of engineering, Oil and Gas.
The ceremony which was also the University’s 3rd Convocation Ceremony, successfully hosted high level international, national, state guests and representations from across the energy, oil and gas industry, including the government and academia.
Nigeria’ President Muhammadu Buhari, the Visitor of the University, was ably represented by the Honourable Minister of state Petroleum Resources, His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, while the event’s Special Convocation lecture, was delivered by Engineer Simbi Kesiye Wabote, the executive secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board with the theme: Defining the Value of Local Content in Petroleum Education.
The ceremony also witnessed among other honours, the installation of its new Chancellor, His Royal Majesty Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remo Land.
A little about Engr. Alfred Irabor Okoigun’s background thus confirm that the prestigious Honourary Doctorate degree award confered on him, has indeed been meritorious, and goes to all lenght to confirm his positive impact on humanity over the years through his working career, and his humanitarian and philanthropic activities to mankind.
Born in Ewu, Edo State Engr. Okoigun attended Holy Trinity Catholic School, Ewu and Government College, Ughelli, studied Mechanical Engineering at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, along with Senior Management Programme (SMP) at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland among other management development programmes locally and overseas.
He founded Arco Petrochemical Engineering Company Limited to provide maintenance engineering and consultancy services to the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry. He was granted agency representation by Nuovo Pignone – a 100% owned subsidiary of the ENI Group (now owned by General Electric) in 1980, when he was only 25.
Under his able leadership, Arco Petrochemical Engineering Company Plc metamorphosed into Arco Group Plc. Engr. Okoigun serves as the Group Managing Director of Arco Group Plc. His vision is to build a successful and sustainable company that would outlive its founders.
He recently inaugurated a Joint Committee known as the NAE-ARCO Group Academia and Industry Linkage with the objective to identify viable engineering innovations by Nigerians and to assist in translating them into scalable commercial activities.
A Fellow of a number of organizations namely: The Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Warri; The Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers; Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering (NAE). Engr. Okoigun is designated a “Role Model” by the Engineering Society of the University of Lagos.
He has endowed scholarships to best Engineering students in both PTI and UNILAG. In 2001, he organized the Nigerian Excellence in Science and Technology (NEST) Award in UK, to showcase bright, excellent and hardworking Nigerians.