UI’s Akintola Makes History as Nigeria’s First Female Professor of Petroleum Engineering

In a landmark achievement for Nigerian academia and the oil and gas sector, Sarah Abidemi Akintola has been elevated to the rank of Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Ibadan, becoming the first woman in the country to attain this distinction in the specialised field.

The historic promotion was hailed by Professor Idowu Olayinka, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, who described it as a breakthrough that shatters longstanding barriers. “Hearty congratulations for breaking the glass ceiling,” Professor Olayinka stated.

“Continue to soar, our former Head of Department at the University of Ibadan.”
Professor Akintola, of the Department of Petroleum Engineering in the Faculty of Technology, has built an impressive career grounded in rigorous scholarship and practical research relevant to Nigeria’s energy industry.

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She earned her bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and her PhD from the University of Ibadan. A registered engineer, she is an active member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria.

Her research has focused on critical challenges in the sector, including the conservation of the environment in oil-producing areas of Nigeria, the behaviour of drilling fluids treated with starch and potash under cyclic temperature and pressure, and the performance of water-based drilling fluids enhanced with modified maize and cassava starches under high-pressure, high-temperature conditions. Additional work has explored corrosion inhibitors derived from valorised chicken feathers for mild steel in drilling mud, the use of local materials such as palm kernel shell powder and rice husk ash in drilling fluids, and the evaluation of drilling muds for high-pressure, high-temperature well applications.

These contributions address both technical efficiency in oil production and the environmental impacts that have long affected communities in producing regions. In a 2021 interview, she emphasised that petroleum will remain a relevant energy source for centuries to come, underscoring the need for continuous technological innovation and responsible management.

As a former Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Ibadan, Professor Akintola has also demonstrated leadership in academic administration, mentoring the next generation of engineers in a discipline historically dominated by men. Her elevation comes at a time when Nigerian women continue to make incremental but significant strides across engineering fields, from mechanical and chemical engineering to geology and beyond.

The achievement is expected to inspire more young women to pursue careers in petroleum engineering and related STEM disciplines, reinforcing the importance of gender inclusion in Nigeria’s vital energy sector. Colleagues and the broader academic community have celebrated the milestone as both a personal triumph for Professor Akintola and a progressive step for the University of Ibadan and the nation.