President Bola Tinubu has removed Mele Kyari from his position as the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Additionally, he has dissolved the company’s board, leading to the dismissal of its Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu exercised his authority under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to restructure the leadership of the NNPCL.
He cited the need for “enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC” as reasons for the changes.
As part of the reorganization, Tinubu has approved the formation of a new 11-member board, with Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari appointed as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida named as the non-executive chairman.
The statement further revealed, “Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu.”
Additionally, six non-executive directors have been selected to represent different geopolitical zones in the country:
– Bello Rabiu (North West)
– Yusuf Usman (North East)
– Babs Omotowa, former Managing Director of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), representing North Central
– Austin Avuru (South-South)
– David Ige (South West)
– Henry Obih (South East)
The Federal Ministry of Finance will be represented on the board by Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, its permanent secretary, while Aminu Said Ahmed will act as the representative for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
All appointments are effective immediately, beginning April 2.
