In a major shake-up of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sacked Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and appointed Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari as his replacement. Additionally, Ahmadu Musa Kida has been named the new non-executive chairman of the NNPCL.
The President also dissolved the entire board of the NNPCL, including members appointed alongside Kyari and former board chairman Pius Akinyelure in November 2023. The restructuring marks a significant shift in the leadership of Nigeria’s state-owned oil corporation.
As part of the reorganization, Adedapo Segun, who took over as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from Umaru Isa Ajiya in November 2023, has been appointed to the new board.
The newly constituted board features six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. They include Bello Rabiu (North West), Yusuf Usman (North East), and Babs Omotowa, former Managing Director of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), representing the North Central.
For the southern regions, President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige from the South West, and Henry Obih from the South East.
Furthermore, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the NNPCL board. Aminu Said Ahmed has been appointed as the representative of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
This sweeping overhaul of the NNPCL leadership is seen as part of President Tinubu’s broader reforms to enhance efficiency, accountability, and performance in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The changes take immediate effect, signaling a new direction for the country’s petroleum industry.
