LAGOS, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu don sack di entire board of di Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, which include di Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, and di board chairman, Pius Akinyelure. Dis announcement come through presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga early morning for Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Onanuga talk say, “President Tinubu remove all di board members wey dey with Akinyelure and Kyari since November 2023.” Dis move na part of di president’s reshuffling strategy for di oil sector.
Di president appoint new 11-man board with Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as di new Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as di new non-executive chairman. All di appointments dey effective from today.
President Tinubu don make am clear say di restructuring of NNPC’s board dey very important to improve operational efficiency, restore investor confidence, boost local content, and drive economic growth. Dis restructuring dey happen under di powers wey di Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 give am.
Di new board get notable members wey represent all di geopolitical zones for Nigeria. Bello Rabiu dey represent di North West, Yusuf Usman dey for di North East, while Babs Omotowa, wey be former managing director for Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), dey represent di North Central.
President Tinubu also appoint Austin Avuru from di South-South, David Ige from di South West, and Henry Obih from di South East as non-executive directors. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, di permanent secretary for di Federal Ministry of Finance, go represent di ministry, while Aminu Said Ahmed go represent di Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Onanuga also highlight di new board’s agenda. Di president don give dem immediate action plan to conduct strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture Assets to ensure dem align with value maximisation objectives.
Under di Tinubu administration, NNPC don see significant investment, as dem report $17 billion investment in 2024. Di government dey target increase dis figure to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030, while dey plan to boost oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027, and three million daily by 2030.
Ahmadu Kida, di new chairman, from Borno State, be civil engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University. He also get postgraduate diploma from Institut Francaise du Petrol in Paris. Dis man get rich experience, having worked for places like Elf Petroleum Nigeria and Total Exploration and Production.
Di new Group CEO, Bashir Ojulari, from Kwara State, also be experience hand. Before dis new role, he bin dey serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Renaissance Africa Energy Company. He na mechanical engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University too and don work with Shell Petroleum Development Company, rising through di ranks am.
President Tinubu thank di outgoing board for their service, especially for di rehabilitation of di Port Harcourt and Warri refineries wey don start producing petroleum products again after long shutdowns.
