Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited (WSPOL) has appointed two experienced energy professionals to its Board of Directors in a strategic move to emphasize succession planning and capitalize on new opportunities in Nigeria’s evolving oil and gas landscape.
Specifically, the company has appointed Mr. Oladapo Filani, who will serve as the company’s chief executive officer from 2023, as a managing director, and Mr. Alex Osho, who served as Walter Smith Petroman’s CFO from December 2019 to January 2023 and group chief operating officer since February 2023, has been appointed as executive director (finance and commercial).
The company said the appointments recognize the significant contributions of Mr. Filani and Mr. Osho to the company and their proven leadership abilities.
The expansion of the Board of Directors comes as WSPOL continues to pursue an ambitious growth agenda focused on production optimization, portfolio expansion and operational excellence. The new board appointments combine deep technical expertise with proven financial and commercial acumen, backed by strong governance principles that are essential to successfully navigating Nigeria’s dynamic energy sector.
“I strongly believe in the leadership potential of our new leader, Mr. Filani. He leads by example, relies on his strong technical skills and can-do spirit, and has achieved great success over the past few years,” said a statement from Abdulrazaq Issa, Chairman of the Board. He will be supported by Mr. Osho, who has been very influential in charting a new direction for the company over the past few years on the financial/commercial side, with his insight, critical thinking skills and collaborative approach.
“Both have shown strong leadership, professionalism, empathy and vision. They have also shown ideas and execution.”
ability over the past few years. It is with this confidence that I hand over the reins of the company to a new leader. We hope they will build on our success and take the company to even greater heights. ”
The company appointed Mr. Taiwo Adeniji to its board of directors as an independent non-executive director in July 2025. Mr. Adeniji is a recognized expert in development and infrastructure finance, and with over 30 years of experience, he will contribute valuable independent oversight and governance expertise to the Company.
A seasoned petroleum engineer with over 26 years of distinguished experience in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, Filani has successfully led WSPOL’s operational excellence and strategic initiatives over the past two years. As Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Oladapo will have overall responsibility for the management of WS’s upstream, midstream gas and downstream businesses.
Mr. Filani holds a B.S. He holds an Honors degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MBA in Oil and Gas Management from Robert Gordon University Aberdeen Business School. He is an alumnus of the London Business School and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the Nigerian Institute of Engineers and the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria.
Mr. Osho has been Group COO at Waltersmith Group since February 2023 and has 20 years of experience in energy, investment banking (M&A advisory, corporate and project finance, restructuring) and consulting. Prior to joining Waltersmith Petroman as CFO in 2019, he was an associate director and head of advisory and equity capital markets at FBN Quest Merchant Bank, where he led a $1 billion restructuring of a major commercial bank and advised FGN on the privatization of a major power asset. Alex was previously Vice President (Investment Banking) at Barclays Africa, where he advised an upstream oil company in Nigeria on a significant asset acquisition. He also held key roles at KPMG, Oando and FBN Capital.
Alex has advised on transactions totaling more than $12 billion across the energy, financial services, consumer, and infrastructure sectors. At Walter Smith, he has been responsible for several landmark transactions including debt and equity financing, restructurings and asset acquisitions.
He has worked very closely with the Group Chairman and the Company CEO to provide strategic direction, ensure financial prudence and oversee the activities of the Company.
Mr. Osho holds a Bachelor’s degree (1st Class Honors) in Accounting from the University of Benin, Nigeria, where he graduated as the top student in his undergraduate and undergraduate studies, and was Dean’s Listed with an MBA (Honours) from INSEAD. He is a CFA charter holder, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a recipient of multiple ICAN National Achievement Awards.
Adeniji brings over 30 years of distinguished experience in development finance, investment banking and infrastructure development across Africa. He retired from Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) as a Senior Director in June 2024. At AFC, he spent 17 years in executive management roles, including department heads and members of several senior management committees.
