The 25 Under 40 Energy Women Rising Stars is a list celebrating the remarkable achievements made by women to drive Africa’s energy sector growth. This year’s list recognizes Mervin Azeta, Engineer at energy services firm SLB, for her impact across both the energy industry and African communities. In an exclusive interview with the African Energy Chamber, Azeta shares her journey in the sector.
Could you provide a brief overview of your journey in the energy industry that led to your current role? What are some key achievements or milestones that you are particularly proud of?
I have had an incredibly intentional and impactful career journey, which began at an early age, following a devastating experience – the loss of a favorite aunt due to a power outage. My passion is to help shape an equitable, inclusive, resilient, prosperous and sustainable future for Africa, beginning with Nigeria. I have improved my STEM education and work experience by acquiring a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering at the University of Benin and an internship with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. I lectured on environmental stewardship and sustainability at a Nigerian state university and worked with SLB for three years, designing and deploying digital solutions for high-profile oil and gas wells in Nigeria and the U.S. I attained a Master’s in Sustainable Energy Futures at Imperial College London, having received a Presidential Special Study Scholarship. I returned to SLB upon completion of the Master’s program, where I am contributing to tackling energy poverty and gender inequity, as well as to drive culture and human capital development.
I have faced numerous societal and systemic challenges, including discrimination based on my age, color, gender, marital status, nationality and religion, as well as microaggressions and limited access to opportunities. For instance, and early on in my career, I was unable to visit or work on certain drilling and completion rigs due to the lack of accommodations for female engineers. These facilities were not designed to support women’s healthy and meaningful participation. However, I have learnt to approach and reframe those challenges as opportunities for growth, learning and making impact. Navigating these barriers and obstacles – and particularly emerging stronger, even wiser – has given me the agency and courage to advocate for policy reforms, champion positive changes and practices for an inclusive industry, and provide expert guidance to others facing similar experiences.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to excel in the energy sector? Are there any specific strategies or mindsets that helped you overcome obstacles and reach your current position?
The energy industry is challenging, fast-paced place to work and is rife with ambiguity, complexity, and volatility, but it is equally exciting and enabling for you to make a meaningful and positive impact. Begin your journey to lasting success by cultivating a healthy sense of who you are, why you are there and what you hope to accomplish. Having a deep sense of identity and purpose will help you wade through the difficulties that may present themselves. Embrace curiosity and seek support.
A career in energy can be demanding. Could you describe a typical day in your life?
As a global project manager, working with various cross-functional, multinational teams, a typical day in my life is as dynamic. I make sure to review my to-be/do/have list for any day the night before. I start the day addressing priority actions or tasks on that list, which may include project/program updates to my stakeholders, trainings, or meetings with my teams or vendors to discuss progress, address challenges, and align on goals.
Afternoons are often dedicated to strategic planning, learning in the flow of work, synthesizing feedback and making data-driven decisions to keep projects on track. I find time to connect with colleagues to share knowledge or any resources I think they might find useful. Despite the demanding nature of the job, I find it incredibly rewarding to see the tangible impact of my projects, to know that I am building a high-performance culture in an organization that is driving energy innovation for a balanced project.
Looking ahead, what changes or advancements do you hope to see in the energy sector? How do you envision your role in shaping that future?
I believe the energy industry is yet to develop truly innovative, resilient and sustainable technologies and it will require collective effort to design and deploy the right solutions that accelerate the energy transition. Through continued investment in future-ready talents, catalyzing more strategic partnerships and innovating at scale, I look forward to shaping these solutions across multiple domains, such as engineering, materials, financing, policies, and regulations.
