He directed the board to immediately review NNPCL’s operational and joint venture assets, aligning them with national economic goals. The administration aims to boost oil production to two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels daily by 2030. Simultaneously, gas production targets are set at eight billion cubic feet per day by 2027, rising to ten billion by 2030.
Abuja, Nigeria – In a significant shake-up at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the board chairman, Pius Akinyelure, and the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mele Kyari. This restructuring, effective April 2, 2025, also sees the removal of all other board members appointed in November 2023.
A statement from Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, confirmed the changes, highlighting that the President had reconstituted the NNPCL board to enhance operational efficiency, attract investment, and drive sectoral reforms.
New Leadership and Board Members
The revamped 11-member board is now led by Ahmadu Musa Kida as the non-executive chairman, while Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari assumes the role of Group Chief Executive Officer. Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Ajiya as chief financial officer in 2023, has been retained in the new structure.
Representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones on the board are:
- Bello Rabiu (North West)
- Yusuf Usman (North East)
- Babs Omotowa (North Central)
- Austin Avuru (South-South)
- David Ige (South West)
- Henry Obih (South East)
Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, a permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Ahmed from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will serve as representatives of their respective ministries.
Government’s Vision for the Oil Sector
President Tinubu invoked Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) to justify the leadership overhaul, emphasizing that the new board has a mandate to restore investor confidence, enhance local content, and accelerate gas commercialization and diversification.
He directed the board to immediately review NNPCL’s operational and joint venture assets, aligning them with national economic goals. The administration aims to boost oil production to two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels daily by 2030. Simultaneously, gas production targets are set at eight billion cubic feet per day by 2027, rising to ten billion by 2030.
Refining capacity is another priority, with plans to elevate NNPCL’s crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels per day by 2027 and 500,000 barrels per day by 2030.
Profiles of Key Appointees
Ahmadu Musa Kida
The new board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, hails from Borno State and is a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he studied civil engineering. He furthered his education with a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from Institut Francaise du Petrol in Paris. His extensive experience in the oil sector includes roles at Elf Petroleum Nigeria and Total Exploration and Production, where he served as Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services. Kida was also an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group and previously led the Nigerian Basketball Federation.
Bashir Bayo Ojulari
Newly appointed NNPCL GCEO, Bashir Ojulari, is from Kwara State and also an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he studied mechanical engineering. He started his career at Elf Aquitaine before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991. Ojulari’s extensive industry experience spans roles in Europe and the Middle East as a petroleum engineer, strategic planner, and asset manager. He served as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company and played a key role in the recent $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria by indigenous energy firms.
His professional affiliations include the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, where he is a fellow.
Acknowledgment of Outgoing Board Members
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the departing board members for their contributions, particularly in revamping the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. He wished them well in their future endeavors, underscoring the administration’s commitment to sustained reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
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