Renaissance Africa Energy Company was on Tuesday night named the winner of the Energy Deal of the Year for 2025 at the Awards Night of the ongoing Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja.

The award was in recognition of the historic $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell’s onshore assets in March 2025, a transaction widely regarded as one of the most consequential in Nigeria’s energy evolution.

The NIES awards committee noted the leadership of Renaissance in advancing local participation in upstream operations and reinforcing Nigeria’s strategic energy autonomy.

According to the award committee, for the first time in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, ownership, operational control, and strategic direction shifted decisively into Nigerian hands, reinforcing indigenous leadership and strengthening Nigeria’s energy sovereignty.

“Some transactions change balance sheets. This one changed history,” the committee noted in Renaissance’s citation at the ceremony

Receiving the award, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance, Mr. Tony Attah, said: “This recognition is deeply meaningful because it affirms a bold belief that Nigerians can build, operate, and lead world‑class energy enterprises at scale. The onshore asset acquisition from an international oil company was more than a transaction; it was a turning point for indigenous participation in our industry.

“I dedicate this honour to our exceptional workforce, our partners, and the communities we work with. Together, we are proving that Nigeria is not just a host to global energy but can be the driver, the innovator, and the standard‑bearer for Africa’s energy future.”

Renaissance’s recognition at NIES 2026 adds to a series of high‑profile industry awards the company secured in 2025 including the Energy Excellence Award at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Energy Week in July 2025.

In the same year, the company was named the Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the Year; while Attah received the individual category award of Local Content Icon of the Year at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.

•PHOTO, L-R: Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Mr. Tony Attah; Renaissance Director and Chairman/CEO, Waltersmith Group, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Isa; and Renaissance Director and MD/CEO, Aradel Holdings, Mr. Adegbite Falade, receiving the award of Energy Deal of the Year presented to Renaissance at the ongoing Nigerian International Energy Summit in Abuja on Tuesday night.