Celebrating one of Nigeria’s Many Shining Lights
By Blessing ogbonna
The Board Chairman of the Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Baywood Ibe, born some 50 years ago, hails from Enugu State and attended Central Primary School Isu Awaa, Colliery Comprehensive Secondary School, Ngwo Enugu, before pursuing a higher education in Quantity Surveying in Beograd, Yugoslavia. Ibe is also an alumnus of the prestigious Dale Carnegie Institute Canada, Fellow of the Institute of Directors of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria and the Global Local Content Group.
Ibe established Baywood Continental Limited, a wholly Nigerian, oil and gas services company, in 1989. The company has, over the years, developed the corporate capacity to design, construct and build major oil and gas facilities.
The company has successfully designed and built large crude oil tanks for various IOCs at three export terminals – CNL Escravos, Shell Bonny and Forcados.
Baywood Continental is a company of many firsts, as far as Nigerian indigenous oil and gas companies are concerned; the first indigenous company to design and construct Nigeria’s largest gas pipeline since discovery of oil in Nigeria, the first Nigerian company to design, install and operate compressor plants for Shell Petroleum Development Company, the first to design and construct a double-bottom concrete crude oil tank for Chevron, the first Nigerian company to have successfully pulled through horizontal direct drilling (HDD), a 42-diameter pipeline across the one-kilometre Sombreiro River.
Under the astute leadership of Ibe, today, the company employs over 1000, is ISO 9001- 2008 certified and a reference in engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. Ibe also sits on the board of Baywood Dextron Ventures Ltd, ZB Joint Ventures Ltd, Tropical Arctic Logistics Ltd, Hitek Engineering and Consultancy Ltd and the Baywood Foundation.
Ibe, a proud son of Enugu State, whose contribution to community development through the Baywood Foundation is worthy of emulation has, over the years, established medical outreach programmes in communities like Isu Awaa, Ihe, Ugbo, Agbogugu, Ituku and Agbudu, thereby saving a number of lives. He undertook the construction and asphalting of the 9.5-kilometre Agbogugu-Isu Awaa-Agbudu-Ihe Road, the first of its kind in the history of Nigeria undertaken by an individual.
The Widow Empowerment Outreach initiative which he initiated and carries out annually has touched the lives of over 700 widows. The Baywood Football Championship has positively engaged youths in Awgu and, indeed, in Enugu State. The Baywood Oil and Gas Skills Acquisition programme has trained many Enugu sons and daughters who are now gainfully employed in the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The Baywood Foundation distributed trailers of parboiled rice during the 2017 yuletide for the good of Awgu.
Ibe, a gentleman to the core and a knight of St. Christopher, is a recipient of so many awards, among which are the 2014 Industry Achievement Award by PETAN, Fellow of the Institute of Administrators and Researchers, the RATTAWU distinguished award for human Empowerment and Father of Eminence of the Anglican Communion.
Early in the year, Ibe was appointed the Board Chairman of the Nigeria Institute for Oil Pam Research (NIFOR) Benin, by President Muhammadu Buhari. Whilst showing his appreciation on the appointment, Ibe promised steadfast growth and significant uplift in the research and production of oil palm in the country, to benefit the Nigerian citizens and the country at large.
Also, he has been conferred with the title of ‘Emperor’ by the Ancient Imperial Court of Ethiopia.
Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe, Entrepreneur and Business mogul has a passion for touching lives and serving humanity.
