Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday approved the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari to replace Mele Kolo Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The appointment comes in a sweeping reconstitution of the board of NNPC Limited by the President; with Ojulari as the chairman of the new 11-man board, replacing Pius Akinyelure, while Ahmadu Musa Kida is the new non-executive chairman.
With over three decades of experience in the global oil and gas industry, Ojulari is described as a seasoned engineer with expertise in petroleum, process, and production engineering.
A fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Ojulari began his career as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991. Between 2015 to 2021, he served as managing director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo).
Similarly, President Tinubu had removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.
Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country’s geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas( NLNG), who represents North Central.
President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East.
Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
