Winning Cranfield’s Excellence in Achievement Award for Recent Energy Graduates is, he says, a profound honour — and an opportunity to reflect on a journey shaped by passion, resilience and the power of mentorship.
For Nimi, the award represents much more than professional success. “It is a tremendous recognition of the hard work and passion behind my career achievements, and of my continuous drive to develop, inspire and give back to future generations,” he says. That commitment to uplift others has been a hallmark of his career.
A childhood spark that never faded.
Some people grow into engineering; Nimi grew up with it. “I have always wanted to be an engineer,” he recalls. “My father saw the curiosity in me — building power systems, repairing things around the house. He affirmed that I could be a great engineer, and that act of belief inspired everything that followed.”
Even though his early academic strengths in biology and chemistry might have led him in another direction, engineering won — thanks to passion, discipline, and an unstoppable curiosity about how systems work.
Before arriving at Cranfield, Nimi had already begun his career with Shell, inspired by the company’s pioneering deepwater developments offshore Nigeria. The experience proved transformative.
“My colleagues at Shell encouraged me to take my master’s thesis further into a PhD,” he explains. “It was new technology research in operational efficiency for offshore development jointly supported by Shell and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) with field data. That experience propelled me toward becoming an expert and leader across the energy industry.”
At Cranfield, he immersed himself in subsea engineering and energy systems at a critical moment in the industry’s evolution. The University’s deep industrial partnerships and research strengths provided the perfect springboard.
“Cranfield had, and still has, a tremendous impact,” he says. “It accelerated my career to the international stage and helped me develop as an expatriate, a technology leader and a researcher.”
His advice to his younger self? “Focus on Cranfield’s industry connections and the real-world innovations happening around you. They are powerful catalysts for your career.”
Nimi recalls Cranfield as a place where academic excellence was matched by human warmth. “The diversified, multicultural community and the support networks — those were incredible,” he says. “And the Kings Norton Library was one of my favourite places. It was where ideas became solutions.”
Leading in a world of rapid change
Since graduating, Nimi has held senior technical and leadership roles with some of the world’s biggest energy and tech companies — Shell, Eni, Schlumberger, Capgemini — and advised multinational clients on digital transformation, offshore development, energy transition and intelligent ecosystems.
He has orchestrated projects across oil and gas, Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and Floating Liquified Natural Gas (FLNG), offshore wind, hydrogen, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Sequestration (CCUS), battery storage, digital engineering, AI-driven optimisation, smart grids and advanced manufacturing, overseeing Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) investments totalling over $12 billion.
Today, he blends engineering with digital strategy, leading Greater Offshore Limited and advising institutions, governments and boards. A Fellow and Chartered Engineer of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and its Executive Chairman for the Houston Branch, he also sits on the organisation’s global Board of Trustees.
But for all the scale of his achievements, it is his advocacy for knowledge-sharing that he values most. “I am proud of my continuous contribution to knowledge and innovation,” he says. “Helping move the energy industry toward a resilient, decarbonised and digitally enabled future — that is the legacy I hope to build.”
When asked about his heroes, Nimi names a constellation of industry figures — former CEOs of Shell, BP and Chevron — along with his Cranfield mentor, Professor Feargal Brennan FREng. “They all played a key role in my growth and acceleration,” he says. “They shaped how I think, how I lead, and how I give back.”
Despite his extraordinary technical career, Nimi reveals a lesser-known side: his entrepreneurial drive. “I’m an entrepreneur who connects and drives distinctive growth for businesses,” he says.
Looking ahead: an engineer’s “yes” list
Nimi’s ambitions remain as expansive as the industries he works across. At the top of his “yes list” are:
- Leading responsible energy transition, leveraging digital accelerators for sustainable outcomes.
- Driving proactive emissions reduction through safe, reliable and efficiency technologies with agentic AI, digital twin and edge computing.
- Inspiring next-generation talent, enabling them to bridge academia and industry to shape the future of marine, offshore and energy systems.
And his message to those beginning their careers is simple and powerful, “Identify your passion and build your vision on it — but stay flexible. Industries evolve, and the future belongs to those who can grow with it.”
