President Bola Tinubu has made major changes in the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). He removed the Group CEO, Mele Kyari, and dissolved the company’s board, including Chairman Pius Akinyelure.
This announcement was made by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Wednesday.
Tinubu used his powers under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to restructure the company. According to Onanuga, the changes aim to improve efficiency, restore investor confidence, and make NNPCL more commercially viable.
President Tinubu has approved a new 11-member board for NNPCL. The key appointments include:
- Bashir Bayo Ojulari – Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO)
- Ahmadu Musa Kida – Non-executive Chairman
- Adedapo Segun – Board Member (Replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as CFO in November 2023)
Other board members represent different geopolitical zones in Nigeria:
- North West: Bello Rabiu
- North East: Yusuf Usman
- North Central: Babs Omotowa (Former MD of Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas – NLNG)
- South-South: Austin Avuru
- South West: David Ige
- South East: Henry Obih
- Federal Ministry of Finance Representative: Lydia Shehu Jafiya (Permanent Secretary)
- Ministry of Petroleum Resources Representative: Aminu Said Ahmed
All the new appointments take effect