Julius Rone awards include New Telegraph Personality of the Year and The Sun Investor of the Year, recognising his impact on Nigeria’s gas sector

Julius Rone, Chief Executive Officer of UTM Offshore, has received two major national honours, winning New Telegraph Personality of the Year 2025 and The Sun Newspaper’s Investor of the Year, in recognition of his contributions to Nigeria’s energy sector.

Also read: Julius Rone showcases Nigerian ingenuity on global stage

The awards, announced at separate ceremonies, acknowledge Rone’s leadership role in advancing Nigeria’s gas industry, particularly through the development of the country’s first Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project.

The project is widely regarded as a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s drive to expand gas monetisation and strengthen its position in global energy markets.

Often referred to within industry circles as the “Gas King”, Rone has led efforts to position the UTM Offshore FLNG facility as a key export hub, with a planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of LNG for export and 300,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas for domestic consumption annually.

The FLNG project has received backing from the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope agenda, reflecting its alignment with national priorities on energy security, foreign exchange earnings and industrial development.

Rone’s professional background includes senior roles at the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) before he assumed leadership of the UTM Group of Companies in 2008.

Since then, he has overseen the company’s expansion into offshore energy development, combining investment growth with environmental compliance.

Under his leadership, UTM Offshore has engaged international partners such as JGC Holdings, Technip Energies and KBR, while carrying out comprehensive environmental impact assessments as part of its project development process.

Industry analysts say the twin honours underscore Rone’s growing influence within Africa’s energy space and highlight his role in driving private-sector investment into Nigeria’s gas value chain.

Also read: Julius Rone leads discussion on interconnected gas markets at NOG2025

The recognition further reinforces his standing as one of the country’s most prominent energy investors at a time when Nigeria is seeking to unlock the full potential of its vast gas reserves.