Offshore West Africa confirms Youth Empowerment Programme as part of the OWA 2016 20th Anniversary Celebrations

16 November 2015; PennWell is delighted to announce the continued inclusion of the Youth Empowerment Programme as part of Offshore West Africa 2016. Working in conjunction with The Energy Institute’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) and Lonadek, the Youth Empowerment Programme will take place on the 26th‐28th January 2016.

The Youth Empowerment Programme a key CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative of PennWell, is an integral part of the Offshore West Africa 2016 schedule and is available for a maximum of 300 youths/students by invitation only. All participating undergraduate students from Ghana and Nigeria will undergo the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program and also receive complimentary membership of the Energy Institute through its Young Professionals Network. PennWell is therefore delighted to invite young professionals and undergraduate students to the Offshore West Africa 20th Anniversary event and the Continuing Professional Development programme for the second consecutive year. Registrations are now open for the YEP Programme and potential attendees are encouraged to visit www.lonadek.com/owa in order to register their interest.

PennWell recognises that today’s undergraduates and youths are the leaders of the future whom when given the right exposure, would excel in their chosen professions; the Youth Empowerment Programme therefore, is a holistic means of education, enlightenment and engagement. Careers in the energy industry are dynamic due to the variable energy source types, rapid technological advancement, fast‐changing consumer needs and continuously changing work environments. Organisations are paying more attention to skills and competencies that are required to optimise and utilise natural resources for energy and power. Emphasis is being laid more on learning and development with continuous professional development being viewed as a major success driver in human capital development. Creating awareness of the personal, professional and career development paths in readiness for fruitful and rewarding careers is the primary purpose of the PennWell Youth Empowerment Programme. The Programme includes welcome and introductory speeches plus various presentations from Lonadek, the Energy Institute, International Oil Companies (IOCs) as well as the PennWell Corporation; it willalso feature Career Counselling, Industry Related Awareness and Empowerment Workshops. Participation in the YEP Programme is free for attendees.

As part of the YEP initiative, attendees will be given the chance to visit the Offshore West Africa Exhibition, plus access to all conference sessions over the three‐day event. Following the success of the OWA 2015 one‐day YEP programme, the OWA 2016 YEP programme now spans the three days for the OWA event; this is to enable attendees gain exposure from the programme, the conference proceedings and networking sessions as much as possible.

Taking place on 26‐28 January 2016 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, Nigeria, Offshore West Africa will build on the success of the 2015 event, which also took place in Lagos, which attracted a record breaking international audience of almost 2,400 leading oil and gas industry professionals from more than 30 countries worldwide.

Offshore West Africa will continue to feature a technical and strategic conference program developed by an Advisory Board comprised of leading industry experts, as well as an exhibition showcasing products, technologies and services from global and regional oil & gas companies, held concurrently, bringing together exhibitors and attendees from around the world for three days of education, networking and new business development.

Offshore West Africa is a truly West African event and addresses key technology and development issues for the West African offshore oil and gas market, through a comprehensive educational program and three‐day exhibition and conference, with the 2016 event focusing on Positioning for a Sustainable Future as the core theme.

For further information on the Youth Empowerment Programme and Offshore West Africa, please visit: www.offshorewestafrica.com or www.lonadek.com/owa for more details.