By: Nzan Ogbe, Founder and CEO of Levene Energy Holdings
By positioning itself at every stage of the oil and gas value chain and now expanding into solar energy products, Levene Energy Holdings has built its reputation as a leading energy solutions provider.
Levene Energy Holdings is a multifaceted, diversified entity specializing in the upstream, downstream, and midstream spaces of the oil and gas industry. As an innovative solutions provider, Levene leverages advanced technology, highly qualified professionals, and global best practices to create value for its stakeholders. Nzan Ogbe, Founder and pioneer CEO of Levene Energy Holdings, states, “I wanted to prove a point that we could create a Nigerian company that is professional and compliant from a corporate governance standpoint and that we could compete with any company in the world.”
Levene Energy trades with most major international oil companies, extending its operations from Nigeria to Libya and Cameroon. Ogbe states, “We have many collaborations and partnerships with the international oil & gas community, including Shell, BP, Petroineos, to name a few.” In the midstream space, Levene has a gas distribution franchise where the company is in the process of building pipelines to distribute gas to a catchment area in Lagos under a concession arrangement. In the upstream area, Levene has acquired two Bitumen blocks in South-West Nigeria which they are in the process of developing. Levene is also in the advanced stages of acquiring a stake in a Nigerian oil block and also secured four oil blocks in Equatorial Guinea in the bid round of 2019. “The plan was always to own our assets and do a backward integration from exploring and developing our crude and gas assets, refining, and ultimately, selling those refined products to place us at every stage of the entire value chain.”
In addition, Levene recently incorporated a joint venture company called LPV Energies which provides renewable energy solutions, and this is an important aspect of their transition plan. The flagship project for LPV Energies is the Building Integrated Photo-Voltaic (BIPV) project. “The BIPV project is the largest in Europe and Africa. The project has the capacity to generate more than 1MW of electricity which is going to be used to exclusively power the Sterling Bank Towers in Lagos.” There are also projects in the works to generate and distribute solar power in rural areas in Nigeria. Ogbe says, “Renewable energy serves a need. It can reach rural areas and provide electricity for people who have never had it, so it has that social impact as well. For me, this is a very exciting project.”
Levene Energy’s implementation of technology within its operations also reduces costs and increases efficiency. With offices in Abuja, Lagos, London, and Mauritius, technology and remote working have saved both time and money in the company’s daily operations and travel. Ogbe states, “Technology has reduced our costs significantly and aids in our pipeline project. We’re working with a technology provider to ensure that the pipeline is safe and secure, and we receive real-time feedback on everything we do. On the renewable energy side, we’re in discussions with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) where we can deploy our solar panels to their locations to meet the power requirements in these places.”
Not only does Levene make a difference in terms of energy accessibility and affordability, but the company also holds corporate social responsibility close to its heart. Ogbe says, “My son, Aziba, was diagnosed with autism about 15 years ago, and this opened my eyes to the challenges of autism and the level of research that needs to be done and how expensive it is to support a child on the spectrum. We give back to the community through the Zeebah Foundation, where we support funding for research and development to engage with people who have challenges.” Levene also recently contributed to a fund for female children in rural communities who need sponsorship to go to school.
From its impact in the oil and gas industry to renewable energy and even community outreach and CSR initiatives, Levene Energy has made its mark as a company with a reputation that precedes it. Ogbe states, “We value corporate governance, ethical practices, tenacity, innovation, commitment to delivering world-class service and products to our clients.