Nigeria’s state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has initiated its largest organizational shakeup in years, dismissing over 200 senior staff-including key allies of former Group CEO Mele Kyari-as new leadership under Bayo Ojulari accelerates reforms to meet President Bola Tinubu’s ambitious production targets. The sweeping changes, effective April 2025, saw the immediate removal of high-profile figures such as Bala Wunti (ex-chief of NAPIMS), Ibrahim Onoja (Kaduna Refinery MD), and Lawal Sade (former NNPC Trading head), signaling a clean break from previous management.
Ojulari, a former Shell executive appointed Group CEO on April 2, has prioritized gender inclusivity by elevating Maryam Idrisu to Managing Director of NNPC Trading-the subsidiary handling all crude oil sales-and Obioma Abangwu as Chief Liaison Officer for board affairs. These appointments align with Tinubu’s directive to modernize NNPC’s operations, attract $60 billion in energy investments by 2030, and boost oil output to 3 million barrels daily alongside 10 billion cubic feet of gas.
The restructuring follows Tinubu’s April 2 dissolution of NNPC’s previous board, replaced by an 11-member team chaired by Ahmadu Musa Kida. The new board includes regional representatives like Babs Omotowa (North Central) and Austin Avuru (South-South), tasked with maximizing Nigeria’s hydrocarbon potential under the Petroleum Industry Act. Despite optimism from staff, challenges loom: the $897 million Warri refinery remains offline due to safety defects, while Port Harcourt operates below 40% capacity amid $6 billion in unpaid fuel supplier debts.
Analysts warn that entrenched corruption and political interference could derail Ojulari’s mandate to transform NNPC into a profit-driven entity. However, the CEO’s early actions-including an eight-member senior management team appointment within days of taking office-hint at urgency to meet Tinubu’s 2027 interim target of 2 million barrels daily. As Africa’s largest oil producer bets on NNPC’s revival to stabilize its economy, the coming months will test whether Nigeria can turn its oil curse into a catalyst for growth.