About

Who is Dr. Jide Agunbiade?

Babajide Agunbiade, Ph.D., FNSE, MBA, is an Engineer, businessman, and philanthropist who is one of 13 subject matter experts globally in subsea production systems as of 2022. He is currently CEO of Alpha Energy Resources, a leading Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) service provider in the Oil and Gas sector of Sub-Sahara Africa. Before that, he had a 25-year stellar career in corporate America, first at General Electric (G.E.) and then at National Oilwell Varco (NOV Inc). While in NOV, he was the General Manager for Africa and Golf Of Mexico and later became the Director of Business Development for the Subsea Production System business group. As the Director of Business Development, he was involved in virtually all the offshore production projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Gulf of Mexico in the last ten years. He won over 2 billion USD in offshore production projects.
Before joining NOV, he was multifariously Principal Engineer at G.E. Gasification and President of G.E. Gasification for West Africa. As Principal Engineer, he led the team that designed the 618-megawatt Integrated gasification in combined cycle (IGCC) plant at Duke Energy’s Edwardsport Station in Knox County, Indiana. The IGCC facility is the largest IGCC plant and the cleanest and most efficient coal-fired power plant in the world. The facility emits less sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates than the plant it replaces – while providing more than ten times the number of megawatt-hours.
Dr. Agunbiade graduated with a combined honors degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from the University of Ibadan. He is an accomplished Engineer who attended the GE Edison Advanced Engineering Development Program (EEDP) in Crotonville, N.Y., and earned a master’s in systems engineering. He is G.E. green and black belt certified. He holds an MBA from the American Intercontinental University (AIU), a master’s degree in organizational management, and a Ph.D. in leadership and business from Higher Place Christian University (HPCU). He is also a Ph.D. scholar in Environmental Policy at Texas Southern University.
He is a recipient of the US Certificate of Congressional Award in recognition of his global contribution to oil and gas, philanthropy, and social causes. He is also a U.N. Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

OTHER AFFILIATIONS:
World Fellow, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, London, UK
Member, Board of Trustees, International Award for Young People Nigeria (INTAWARD)
Fellow, The Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE)
Member, Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers (IISE)
Fellow, Society of Underwater Technology (SUT)
Member, National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
Member, The Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN)Member, Board of Directors, Dorman Long Engineering Limited
Patron, Board of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Oyo State, Nigeria
Chairman, Board of Trustees, The Fiditi Echo
Patron, Board of Trustees, The Agunbiade Foundation
Member, Board of Trustees, Fiditi Initiative

OTHER RECOGNITIONS:
2019 Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, The University of Ibadan.
Recipient, Harris County, Houston, Texas Precinct 1 resolution for contributions to Houston Economy and mentoring.

Career

Engr. (Dr) Babajide Agunbiade started his Engineering career in Nigeria with Industrial Measurement & Control Limited, Lagos, Nigeria, upon graduation with a combined honors degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from the University of Ibadan in 1996.

He was to continue his career at General Electric Houston, Texas, where he was Principal Engineer for the $4billion Duke Energy Edwardsport IGCC (Integrated Gasification in Combined Cycle) project that built the first-ever IGCC plant in Edwardsport, Indiana. The gasification process involves converting coal and other carbon-based feedstock with carbon capture and sequestration into syngas used in a combustion turbine to generate electricity.

Further Education

An accomplished Engineer, Dr. Agunbiade attended the GE Edison Advanced Engineering Development Program (EEDP) in Crotonville, N.Y., and gained a master’s degree in Systems Engineering. He is G.E green, and black belt certified and holds a master’s degree in Organizational Management and an MBA from the prestigious American Intercontinental University (AIU) in Houston, Texas, as well as a Ph.D. in Leadership and Business from Higher Place Christian University (HPCU) Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. Dr. Agunbiade is also a Ph.D. scholar in Environmental policy at Texas Southern University.

As an ardent scholar, Engr. Dr. Babajide Agunbiade has written and presented several technical papers at both local and international fora. Some of his papers are:

Product-Mix Problem: A case of a Paper Manufacturing Industry.
System dynamics applied to engineering management: a survey, assessment, and directions for future research.
Leadership in Multi-Leadership Business Organizations: Where are we Faltering? Ph.D. Dissertation.
Impact of gas flaring on air quality: A Review. Ph.D. Research work, Texas Southern University, Department of Urban Planning & Environmental Policy.

Fully integrated Subsea Sulfate Removal and low salinity plant for IOR and EOR OTC 2020.

Restricted -S Riser configuration for ultra-Shallow water. Projects – Babajide Agunbiade, Claus Christensen OTC 2014.
Subsea water treatment and injection for IOR and EOR OTC , Asia 2014.
Direct Electrical Heating of a Flexible Pipe – Babajide Agunbiade , T Holts et. al OTC 2016.
Subsea water treatment Pilot testing at the Ekofisk field in the North Sea, Babajide Agunbiade, Eirik Dirdal, OTC 2019.
Subsea Membrane Water Treatment Progress Towards application OTC 2015.

He is a Philanthropist, businessman, prolific Investor, energy consultant, and subject matter expert in Subsea Production Systems. Dr. Agunbiade has attended and presented papers at several Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops worldwide. He is the Founder of Jide Agunbiade foundation, Midas Global services LCC – A diversified conglomerate involved in Real Estate, Trading, and Energy Infrastructure, Co-Owner of Sifax Shipping company Houston, Co-Founder and none Executive director of Alpha Petroleum, Founder MGS Luxury Design, Co-Founder of The Haus Houston, Founder of Jiverty Limited.

With his foundation, the Jide Agunbiade Foundation, Engr. Dr. Babajide Agunbiade has executed several community support and development projects in his hometown of Fiditi as well as across Oyo state and indeed around Nigeria.

US Congressional Recognition

The US Congress issued a Congressional proclamation in November of 2021 through Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, marking November 12th as “Atobasse Dr. Bbabjide Aguinbiade day”. The proclamation described Dr. Agunbiade as a “strong pillar in Houston and Nigeria who have dedicated efforts to giving back to marginalized communities and have played integral roles in several social movements internationally.” According to the US Congress, “Since 2015, Dr. Jide has partnered with local businesses to establish one of the largest Oil and Gas networking events and has hosted many international dignitaries to develop and benefit the E & P economy in Houston. He has awarded scholarships to students all across Houston specifically for HBCUs, built water systems in Nigeria, and donated a library to a Houston-area high school. These worthwhile efforts to enrich the city of Houston and Nigeria through mentorship, community development, educational scholarships, and international recognition is commendable. According to Dr. Jide, “To be honored by none other than US Congress through a legend like Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is very humbling”.

Coronation as Atóbaáse of Yorubaland.

The Historic Conferment of High Chief Dr. Babajide Agunbiade, FNSE as the Atóbaáse of Yorubaland by His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, Iku Baba Yeye, Alaafin of Oyo, J.P, CFR, L.L. D (15 October 1938 – 22 April 2022) took place at the Alaafin Palace on August 28th, 2021 as part of the highlights of the activities marking the 50th coronation anniversary of the Alaafin. In his appointment letter to Dr. Babajide Agunbiade, His Imperial Majesty, the Custodian of Yoruba Culture and Tradition and the King of all Yorubas, said, “The Alaafin from time immemorial is the king and head of Yoruba Nation. He is the only King in Yorubaland who can confer chieftaincy title to a worthy man or woman to cover the whole of Yorubaland”.

According to the Alaafin of Oyo, the title being conferred on Dr. Babajide Agunbiade is that of Atóbaáse of Yorubaland, which means “the one who is competent enough to be a king”. The Alaafin also said, the Atóbaáse is a traditional title Alaafin Eguguojo, instituted and used as part of his administration to rule Oyo or Yoruba empire when they moved the headquarters to present-day Igboho. The title has been awarded 4 times in the past, and Dr. Agunbiade is the first Atobaase of Yorubaland since 1630 AD.

The Oyo Empire was the most politically important state in the entirety of Western Africa from the mid-7th to the late 18th century, holding sway not only over other kingdoms in Yorubaland but also over nearby African states, notably the Fon Kingdom of Dahomey in the modern Republic of Benin to the west of Togo. Its territory encompasses a real mix of environments with portions of the rainforest, dry forest, savannah, and mangrove swamp. The Yorubas have one of the richest cultures in the world.