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Winifred Akpani and her husband Walter Akpani epitomize a true power couple in Nigeria’s business landscape, each leading successful ventures in the oil and banking sectors respectively. Their story is one of mutual support, vision, and shared success.
Winifred Akpani founded Northwest Petroleum 27 years ago with a modest startup capital of just N200,000, supported financially by her husband Walter, then a finance professional. A chartered accountant who had just left an oil and gas company, Winifred began by supplying diesel in 200-liter drums to homes and her church. Over time, her clientele expanded to include hotels and factories, and the business grew into bulk buying, petrol station leasing, and distribution of refined petroleum products.
Today, Northwest Petroleum & Gas Company Ltd. is a major player in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, handling international oil trading and multi-million-dollar deals. The company owns over 100 million liters of storage capacity, operates two ultra-modern storage terminals certified by the Department of Petroleum Resources, and boasts a state-of-the-art berthing facility in the Calabar Free Trade Zone. It also runs several mega filling stations nationwide and is approved by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for crude oil allocation and export.
Walter Akpani, meanwhile, transitioned from running United Mortgage Bank to founding Providus Bank. When he sought to secure a banking license, Winifred invested heavily, with Northwest Petroleum becoming the largest shareholder, holding over 34% of the bank’s shares. Walter serves as the pioneer CEO of Providus Bank, which has grown into a respected financial institution.
Their partnership highlights the power of collaboration and mutual upliftment in marriage and business. As Winifred and Walter Akpani demonstrate, one partner’s success need not overshadow the other; together, they shine brighter.
In a recent photo, the couple was flanked by Mr. Ijewere, former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), symbolizing their stature in Nigeria’s corporate world.
This dynamic duo continues to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and couples alike, proving that shared vision and support can create lasting legacies.
