Dr. Ernest Azudialu, KSC, FNISM, DBA - honoris causa (UNN) - President/CEO

Dr. Azudialu-Obiejesi is the Executive Chairman of White Dove Limited, one of Africa’s fastest-growing conglomerates.

As Executive Chairman, he is responsible for policy formulation and setting the direction for the company. His deep knowledge of business management, gained from early exposure to commerce, inspired him to establish Obijackson West Africa Limited in 1983, before diversifying to the oil and gas sector with the emergence of Nestoil Limited in 1991.

Dr. Azudialu-Obiejesi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and an MBA from the University of Benin, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2009, including being an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program.

Chiemezie Ejinima - CEO, White Dove Shipping Company Ltd

Chiemezie is the Chief Executive Officer of White Dove Shipping Company Ltd. He is responsible for the direction and implementation of the strategic growth plans of the oil and gas marine logistics company. Prior to assuming this role, he was Associate Director and Group Head of Corporate Finance in White Dove, where he was responsible for articulating and championing the different capital raising endeavours to finance the investment and operational needs of the company and its affiliates.

Before joining the White Dove, Chiemezie was senior manager in the Corporate Finance and Advisory Group of Zenith Capital – the investment banking subsidiary of Zenith Bank, where he provided leadership and particpated in numerous financial structuring and capital raising transactions.

Chiemezie was a Petroleum Economist at Addax Petroleum, prior to his move to Zenith Capital. In that role he was responsible for economic analysis of investment opportunities, including – setting up economic models for determining the  viability of new opportunities,  commercial evaluations for Farm-in prospects, financial forecasts and various simulations in project economics.

Prior to Addax, he was Senior Consultant in Corporate Finance at KPMG Professional Services where he worked extensively on corporate valuations. He had also previously lectured at the Lagos Business School.

He began his career at Citibank in 1999 working in the international payments division. He holds a BSc. in Accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, MSc. in Energy Finance from the University of Dundee in the UK, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Nnaji igwe (LLB, BL) - Director

Nnaji obtained his Bachelors Degree in Law  from the University of Nigeria in 1988 and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in December 1989. He did his National Youth Service in Kano where he worked with Felix Nwadialo & Co . Thereafter he worked with Emeka Okoli & Co from where he proceeded to Ayo Kasunmu & Co, both well-established Lagos based Law practices.

In these Law Firms, he was intimately involved in litigation, property consultation and documentation, drafting commercial and investment agreements, negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, immigration and expatriate documentation, drafting, reviewing and perfecting oil and gas contracts, intellectual property transactions, secured credit transactions, etc.

He is presently a Director with White Dove Shipping Co. Limited.

Chinedu N. Eze, LL.B (Nig.); LL.M (Can.) Legal Counsel - Company Secretary Legal

Before joining White Dove Shipping Company Limited, Chinedu worked in Transnational Corporation of Nigeria for about 4 years as Group Company Secretary and Legal Counsel where he was extensively exposed to the Power, Oil and Gas sector. Prior to this, he worked at Fidelity Bank Plc where he was the Senior Legal Counsel for the bank. He was also a Legal Counsel in Ecobank Nigeria Plc and Guardian Express Bank (now Heritage Bank Ltd).

Chinedu is a Barrister-at-Law, holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nigeria, LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law from the University of Lagos (focused on the Law of Secured Financing) as well as LLM (focused on Offshore Oil & Gas Law) from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

He is skilled in Legal Advice, Contracting, Negotiation, Analytical Skills, Banking and secured financing law, Corporate and Commercial Practice, Project Financing, Capital Markets Regulations, Corporate Governance Advisory, Law of the Sea, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution.