Seplat Energy Plc has appointed Tony Elumelu as a non-executive director on its board, effective 22 January 2026, following the acquisition of a 20.07 percent stake in the company by Heirs Energies.
Gatekeepers News reports that Elumelu, chairman of Heirs Energies, takes the seat previously held by Olivier Cleret De Langavant, who joined the Seplat board in January 2020 as a nominee of Etablissements Maurel et Prom SA (M&P), the French firm whose shares were sold to a combination of Heirs Holdings Limited and Heirs Energies Limited.
In a corporate filing on Thursday, signed by Edith Onwuchekwa, Seplat’s company secretary, the firm expressed appreciation for Langavant’s contributions.
“Mr. Langavant rendered exceptional service throughout his tenure, providing strategic technical counsel and invaluable insights that materially supported our progress,” the filing read.
Elumelu’s appointment
Seplat described Elumelu as a “distinguished African investor and philanthropist,” globally recognized for his contributions to Africa’s transformation agenda.
“Mr. Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a diversified investment company with interests across strategic sectors of the African economy, including energy, power, banking, insurance, technology, real estate, hospitality, and healthcare,” the statement noted.
Elumelu is also chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group, Heirs Energies, and Transcorp Group, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power and Transcorp Hotels Plc. In 2010, he founded The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), a leading philanthropy dedicated to empowering African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries.
His global influence has earned him recognition as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (2020) and the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2022. He also serves on multiple global boards, including UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council and the IMF Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.
Seplat confident in Elumelu’s leadership
Seplat said Elumelu’s experience and leadership will help advance the company’s strategic objectives and strengthen its commitment to sustainable growth.
Commenting on the development, Udoma Udo Udoma, chairman of Seplat Energy, welcomed Elumelu to the board while thanking Langavant for his six-year service.
“His expertise and commitment have been instrumental in driving our strategic initiatives. We look forward to Mr. Elumelu leveraging his wealth of experience and leadership to help the company achieve sustainable growth and value creation for all stakeholders,” Udoma said.
