KPMG and WIEN Launch Historic DEI Benchmark for Nigeria’s Energy Sector
Africa’s leading gender equity advocate in the energy sector, the Women in Energy Network (WIEN), has partnered with KPMG Advisory Services 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 access to leadership and business opportunities for women.
Under the collaboration, WIEN and KPMG will develop a DEI Benchmark Report, introduce independent due diligence procedures for the network’s industry awards and establish directories of qualified female board candidates and women-owned businesses.
The two organisations formalised the partnership through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday, establishing a framework for measuring progress in diversity and inclusion, strengthening confidence in industry recognition and improving the visibility of women with the capacity to contribute to the sector’s growth.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, WIEN President, Mrs Eyono Fatai-Williams, said the initiative would provide the evidence needed to inform policy decisions, encourage accountability and track progress in advancing gender diversity and inclusion across the energy industry.
She explained that the proposed benchmark would establish a basis for periodic industry reporting, enabling stakeholders to assess gender representation, identify gaps and determine areas requiring improvement.
According to her, the report will provide an evidence-based assessment of industry performance, highlighting opportunities for organisations to strengthen their policies, governance structures and workplace practices to promote greater inclusion.
On the WIEN Industry Awards, Fatai-Williams said KPMG would support the due diligence and 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 individuals and organisations recognised for their impact on the energy industry are appropriately assessed.
Another key component of the agreement is the establishment of the WIEN Board-Ready Candidates Directory and the WIEN Business Owners Directory, initiatives intended to improve women’s access to leadership positions and commercial opportunities across the energy value chain.
Fatai-Williams explained that the Board-Ready Candidates Directory would improve 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 said the directories would make qualified female professionals and capable women-owned businesses more accessible to organisations seeking board talent, business partners and service providers across the industry.
The broader objective, she added, is to promote evidence-based decision-making, strengthen confidence in industry recognition and expand opportunities for women to participate 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 receive greater recognition and support.
He observed 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 assessing progress in subsequent editions.
The report is expected to provide energy companies and other industry stakeholders with a framework for evaluating their performance on gender representation and inclusion, while identifying areas where targeted interventions may be necessary.
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’s release is expected to provide industry players with data to assess women’s representation and participation across the energy sector and measure progress towards more inclusive workplace practices.
An initial benchmark initiative seeks to provide a reference point for tracking changes in women’s participation over time and encouraging organisations to demonstrate measurable progress in diversity, equity and inclusion.
The partnership marks an effort to move discussions about 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.
