By Our Reporter
Crown University, Delaware, United States, has conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Engineering (D.Eng.) on Engineer Reinert Nneji, in recognition of his exceptional professional achievements, integrity, and contributions to engineering development across Nigeria’s industrial and energy sectors.
The conferment ceremony is scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the University of Lagos, where Engr. Nneji will be honored alongside other distinguished professionals. The event is expected to draw notable figures from academia, government, and the private sector.
According to Crown University, the award acknowledges Engr. Nneji’s outstanding track record in project management, facilities engineering, and technical innovation. The university described him as “a consummate engineer whose work has advanced the frontiers of industrial efficiency and human capacity development in Nigeria.”
Engr. Nneji, who currently serves as a Senior Facilities Engineer and Project Manager at Aradel Holdings PLC, has accumulated more than 18 years of professional experience spanning the oil and gas, manufacturing, shipping, logistics, and academic sectors.
Born in Ngor Okpala, Imo State, Engr. Nneji began his educational journey at Primary School Okpala between 1984 and 1989, where he distinguished himself as one of the best pupils in his class. He proceeded to Okpala Secondary School in 1990 and completed his studies in 1996, graduating as the overall best student of his set.
His passion for science and technology led him to the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, where he earned a National Diploma (ND) in Mechanical Engineering, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
Demonstrating a continuous drive for professional growth, he obtained a Master’s degree in Process Engineering from the University of Lagos in 2011 — an institution that now serves as the venue for his upcoming honorary doctorate ceremony.
Engr. Nneji’s career has been marked by consistent excellence and innovation. He has served in senior engineering and management roles at prominent organizations including National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO), International Energy Services Limited (IESL), Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics, Dangote Oil Refining and Petrochemical Company, Niger Delta Petroleum Resources Limited, BW Offshore Nigeria Limited, LES Energy Services Limited.
At Aradel Holdings PLC, one of Nigeria’s leading integrated energy companies, Engr. Nneji oversees key projects in facilities engineering, design optimization, and infrastructure development. His expertise covers conceptual design, front-end engineering design (FEED),detailed engineering design, project commissioning, and brownfield and greenfield development.
He has also contributed to several landmark projects, including the Dangote 650,000 barrels Refinery, Egina FPSO Design, TotalEnergies O.U.R. Pipeline, Aradel’s trains I, II and III
construction and commissioning, Erha FPSO Equipment Restoration, Facilities Maintenance on Antan-NNPC assets (OML 123, 124 and 126) while at LES Energy and Chevron Nigeria’s Domestic Supply Obligation Project. His technical leadership has helped drive efficiency, safety, and sustainability in Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
In conferring the honorary degree, Crown University described Engr. Nneji as a “symbol of engineering excellence and leadership whose professional integrity, innovation, and dedication nation-building has inspired young engineers across Africa.”
The degree, the institution added, is a recognition of his “lifetime achievements in engineering
design, project management, and mentorship.”
Speaking ahead of the event, members of the award committee praised Engr. Nneji’s
“unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and capacity building.”
The upcoming ceremony will be a symbolic homecoming — a return to the institution that helped shape his professional foundation.