By Jude Atupulazi
Engr Barth Nwibe is a name many people know today in Anambra State. He is a philanthropist of repute and owner of Nigeria’s most independent oilfield service firm, SEGOFS Energy. Easy going but focused, his eye for business has seen him rub shoulders with the most established personalities in the oil industry at the moment.
A man of great vision, temerity and doggedness, he is set to unveil a ₦3 billion AI-powered Diagnostic Centre in Awka, Anambra State, as part of his effort to give back to society and transform the state’s healthcare system. This is proof of how far he has come in the business world and in his field of endeavour.
But while he dines and wines with kings and princes today, life has not always been like that for the Igboukwu, Aguata-born engineer. His years growing up were not as rosy as one would think as he had no golden spoon feeding him.
Born in the 1960s, he recalls how he grew up like any normal person of that era, with his father being a tradesman and his mother, a businesswoman. Though they were far from being rich, they foresaw the importance of giving their child education and invested their energy into sending him to school.
Nwibe’s academic journey began at Ifite Primary School, Igbo-Ukwu, and progressed to Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha, one of the elite secondary schools of that era in Eastern Nigeria. From there he proceeded to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he graduated with a Second Class Upper degree in Civil Engineering.
Reflecting about this, he says it was a photo of a black engineer he saw in Ebony Magazine, dressed in work gear and affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that inspired his decision to pursue Engineering instead of Medicine, which was the initial expectation from his family and teachers.
‘My preference for Mathematics and Physics only strengthened my resolve to study Engineering, despite the popularity of Medicine as the elite course of the time,’ Nwibe says.
‘I chose Civil Engineering and Physics as single honour in my JAMB. That singular decision marked the beginning of a journey that would later revolutionize my life and industry,’ he reflects.
His professional career took off in Rivers State during his National Youth Service, where he was also given an Award of Commendation for his excellence. He later secured employment with Wog Allied Services, an indigenous oil firm founded by the late Chief Gable Oformah, whom he described as one of his earliest mentors. From there, he moved through top global companies like Sperry Sun Drilling Services (a division of Halliburton), Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, and Shell, gathering deep expertise across the oil and gas value chain.
While describing the seamless nature of his career growth, Nwibe attributed it, not just to merit but also to preparation, vision, and divine providence.
‘That’s what happens when preparation meets opportunity,’ he says, while pointing out that many of the roles he secured were as a result of consistency, training, and staying open to learning. He added that his professional development included advanced training in leadership, energy, and management at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University.
In 2006, spurred by Nigeria’s Local Content Policy, Nwibe launched SEGOFS Energy, which, he says, has since distinguished itself as Nigeria’s only indigenous oilfield services firm operating independently of the three global giants—Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes.
‘We are the only independent oilfield service firm. Almost 75% of what those majors can do, we can now do in-house. We select our own technologies, design our systems, and deliver the services without being an agency to any foreign brand,’ he states.
He discloses that SEGOFS operates within the highly technical upstream segment of the oil and gas sector, offering services such as directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling, logging, and borehole survey services previously monopolized by the big three international oilfield firms. According to him, being able to meet those standards with Nigerian ingenuity remains their biggest achievement.
He identifies knowledge, finance, and regulatory constraints as the biggest challenges he faced in building the firm. ‘Getting funding was a big challenge. The business is capital intensive. At the early stage, we had some investors who later pulled out. We had to pay a huge amount to take full control and restructure the company to reflect our original vision,’ Nwibe discloses.
He also recalls how government policies, economic stagnation, and logistics issues – such as being unable to export equipment during a contract with a South African firm in Ghana – crippled some expansion efforts.
Aside from capital, he says Nigeria’s unpredictable policy environment and insecurity have posed severe threats to business continuity. He notes that during the height of the Niger Delta crisis, SEGOFS had to spend heavily on logistics and protection, including deploying mobile policemen to escort equipment and field teams.
‘Insecurity remains a significant cost burden for businesses in Nigeria,’ Nwibe laments.
According to him, despite these hurdles, SEGOFS has remained active in training and developing young Nigerian engineers, employing them at entry level and equipping them with in-house skills.
‘We are 100% indigenous. We train, we build professionals, and many of our alumni now work in key positions across the industry,’ he discloses, emphasizing that this deliberate mentoring and capacity-building strategy remains one of the firm’s proudest achievements.
As part of his growing legacy beyond oil, Nwibe is investing in healthcare through a ₦3 billion artificial intelligence-backed diagnostic centre in Awka, expected to commence operations by July this year. The project, he says, was inspired by the loss of his mother whose stroke diagnosis came late due to the absence of appropriate facilities in Anambra.
‘We rushed her to Enugu, and after a CT scan at Memphis Clinic, they told us that if we had come earlier, they could have drilled a hole and saved her brain from bleeding. That experience opened my eyes to the deficiency in our system,’ he sadly reflects.
According to him, the new diagnostic centre will provide early, world-class diagnosis for various ailments, making life-saving interventions possible in the state. The oil magnate says that all equipment has been ordered, with the building being at roofing stage, while training has already commenced for personnel, including radiographers drawn from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital and NAUTH, Nnewi.
‘Whatever test you can do in the U.S. or India, you’ll be able to do right here in Awka. That’s our mission,’ Nwibe says.
The facility is being constructed in partnership with Apex Hospital, which, he says, already has one of the largest operating theatres in the state. Nwibe is very confident that the centre, once operational, will curb medical tourism, save lives, and serve as a benchmark for future private sector-led healthcare investments in the region.
In addition to his business exploits, Nwibe runs the Ugo-Igboukwu Foundation, which is driven by his passion to make education accessible to indigent but brilliant children. The foundation has supported students in Aguata and beyond with scholarships and sponsorships, including seminarians and religious aspirants.
‘Whatever I am today is because of the opportunities I had through education. So, I believe that everyone who is intelligent should be able to go to school,’ he says.
He acknowledges that the foundation faced political misinterpretations at some point, with critics linking its philanthropic work to electoral ambitions, forcing the team to scale back some of its outreach programmes.
‘Nonetheless, we’ve continued supporting young people within the limits of our resources and the foundation will be further institutionalized in future,’ he states.
Nwibe, who recently clinched the “Oil and Gas Person of the Year” Award at the Anambra Man of the Year (AMTY) ceremony, 2025, also speaks extensively on politics and national development. He decries what he describes as the visionless and transactional nature of Nigeria’s political system, dominated by individuals without ideas or development agenda.
‘Politics in Nigeria is crude. You go to meetings and there is no agenda, no minutes, no direction. It’s all about capturing power,’ he laments, while noting how people with genuine ideas are often sidelined.
Although his recent Governorship ambition under the Labour Party was thwarted by what he calls “shenanigans”, Nwibe affirms that his political interest however remains alive and won’t be over until it is ‘completely over.’
He believes that there are still alignments and legal issues underway, pointing out that when the people are ready for real leadership, things will change.
He also calls for the active involvement of the business class in politics, warning that until the likes of Dangote, Otedola, Elumelu, and other well-meaning members of the elite take a stand for competent leadership, the country may remain in crisis.
He particularly advocates for what he calls the strategic development of Anambra’s gas reserves, especially in the Orient Petroleum axis, noting that the state has the potential to generate electricity, power industries, and attract investors if it properly harnesses its energy resources.
‘If we develop the gas in Anambra State and take it to Nnewi, Onitsha and other industrial areas, the state will change overnight. We will create jobs, reduce crime, and attract investment. But the government has to be strategic. Enough of cosmetic projects,’ he warns.
Nwibe says no amount of security spending or armored vehicles will solve insecurity without job creation, adding that many young people turn to crime due to unemployment and frustration. He expresses the belief that industries powered by locally-sourced gas will lift the economic burden off the state and redirect its youths toward productivity.
Asked about his ability to balance business and politics if elected, Nwibe responds, ‘Every successful business should have a succession plan. If I go into government, someone will run the business. Government is more impactful than anything I can do in private capacity.’
He further advises young people to shun shortcuts and work hard, warning that there’s no money ritual anywhere, but all fantasy.
‘Nothing comes easy or cheap. You must go through training, build trust, and earn success,’ he states.
Looking forward to the future, Nwibe says his aspiration is to see SEGOFS become a global brand, to invest in manufacturing, and to build institutions that outlive him.
‘For Anambra, once we can create wealth, get our youths employed, and build lasting structures, I will be fulfilled,’ he concludes.
With his multifaceted efforts spanning oil, healthcare, philanthropy, and politics, Nwibe says he will continue writing a story of vision, resilience, and responsibility that will echo beyond limits.
(Major source: Izunna Okafor)
