Allamin | Commercial Analyst
Joined Vitol: 2020
Hometown: Borno, Nigeria
Current Office: Cape Town via London, Bahrain and Lagos
Role: Commercial Analyst (LPG/ Bitumen)
Education: University of Oxford
BSc – Engineering Science
MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering
Interests: Film fanatic, bird watching, playing and watching sport


I kept hearing about this company with a flat hierarchy. I was already working in the energy sector and was hearing a lot about Vitol and how it operated with a flat structure.
I wanted to do something more commercial and have greater visibility of the bigger picture. I was also intrigued by this company I’d heard so much about. The meritocratic structure means that if someone has a wide range of skills then you are given the opportunity to add something across the whole business.
Vitol is totally unique to other places that I’ve worked. My colleagues have so many different skills and are characterised by their humility: there is a culture of rolling up your sleeves and working hard. When I joined the company, my boss told me that whatever question I might have, about whatever topic (work or non-work related!) someone at Vitol would know the answer. The flat structure is absolutely key to this, being able to communicate with people across the organisation is so much more effective and helps you grow as a professional.
I like being able to build models and tools that guide commercial decisions. Working in the Lagos office gives me an insight into how our operations run across the whole supply chain. This overview means that you can identify where the commercial advantages might be and build something suitable for the specific market you’re operating in. I find automation really interesting and I’ve been able to automate our processes in the local LPG business here in Nigeria. It was really rewarding to build something from scratch and add commercial value to the business.
My day-to-day is extremely varied. In the mornings I collate activity reports on our pricing, operations and logistics, such as what’s happening at our terminals and what products are coming in. These reports are sent to London, Geneva and Rotterdam. In the afternoon I call customers, gather intelligence and find out what’s happening in the market. Then I spend my time on business development, building on any projects I’m working on and scoping out any opportunities.
Energy is a constant, it’s never going to disappear, it will always be here. The industry changes, and is changing now, but energy will always be of use. The skills I am learning now are transferable and can be adapted to new environments.