The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed numerous senior executives in a major shake-up initiated by newly appointed Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari.
The move, which affects heads of key departments and several board-level positions, follows President Bola Tinubu’s decision on April 2 to replace long-serving GCEO Mele Kyari and dissolve the company’s previous board.
Among those relieved of their duties were Bala Wunti, former Chief of National Petroleum Investments, and Olawale Idris, head of Corporate Strategy, both considered close allies of Kyari. Also affected were Maryam Idrisu, who served as Managing Director of NNPC Trading, and Pius Akinyelure, the former non-executive chairman.
In an internal memo circulated on April 29, Ojulari cited the need to realign the organization for optimal performance and transparency as the reason for the dismissals. He announced the immediate appointment of new leaders into vacated roles, emphasizing a merit-based selection process aimed at boosting Nigeria’s oil and gas output and preparing NNPCL for a future initial public offering.
Also, insiders indicate that heads of key divisions—particularly at NNPC’s three state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna—were among those relieved of duty. The Managing Directors of each of these refineries have reportedly been removed to pave the way for appointments of “seasoned industry professionals,” signalling a clear break from the previous management regime.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this latest major management overhaul is linked to a lack of accountability across various NNPC divisions as newly uncovered documents showed that the Warri Refinery, one of Nigeria’s key oil refining facilities, has been shut down since January 25, 2025 despite earlier claims which had touted progress with the rehabilitation work at the refinery up to the tune of $897m.
Strategic Targets
The purge aligns with President Tinubu’s performance-driven agenda for the oil sector. Under the new leadership’s directive, NNPC Ltd is expected to:
- Raise daily crude oil production to 2 million barrels by 2027 and 3 million barrels by 2030.
- Expand gas output to 10 billion cubic meters by 2030.
- Increase refining capacity to 200,000 barrels per day by 2027 and 500,000 barrels per day by 2030.
The restructuring is viewed by many as an opportunity to address longstanding inefficiencies within the company. However, there are concerns about potential disruptions to ongoing projects and the need to ensure continuity during the transition.
Bayo Ojulari, a former Shell deepwater executive, was appointed to accelerate reforms and deliver on ambitious targets, including increasing daily crude output and expanding gas production. Under Kyari’s leadership, NNPCL had overseen efforts to revive dilapidated refineries but struggled with falling output and widespread pipeline theft.
This overhaul is the most extensive since September 2023, when several employees nearing retirement were let go under performance-improvement directives.
