By Abdulkareem Haruna

Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has instituted a sweeping change in the oil and gas sector, appointing a new Board and Management team for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The high-profile reshuffling, which retains Mele Kyari as the CEO of the oil and gas compnany, will be effective December 1, 2023, in line with Section 59 (2) of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

The new appointments are as follows:

  • Chief Pius Akinyelure, Non-Executive Board Chairman
  • Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer
  • Alhaji Umar Isa Ajiya, Chief Financial Officer
  • Mr. Ledum Mitee, Non-Executive Director
  • Mr. Musa Tumsa, Non-Executive Director
  • Mr. Ghali Muhammad, Non-Executive Director
  • Prof. Mustapha Aliyu, Non-Executive Director
  • Mr. David Ogbodo, Non-Executive Director
  • Ms. Eunice Thomas, Non-Executive Director
  • Mr. Okokon Ekanem Udo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance
  • Amb. Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources

The newly appointed board and management are expected to implement a performance-driven and results-oriented mandate, reflecting the goals of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration. In particular, the NNPCL will be tasked with maximizing the monetization of existing oil and gas resources, while paving the way for the total exploitation of new and cleaner energy sources in the future.

The announcement was made by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. President Tinubu has expressed anticipation of “the fullest measure of compliance” with his administration’s energy policy from the newly formed team.