Tayo Busayo, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reconstituted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited board, appointing Ahmadu Musa Kida as the non-executive chairman and Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO). This move signals a strategic shift aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, restoring investor confidence, and advancing economic diversification.
The sweeping changes announced on April 2, 2025, saw the removal of the previous chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and GCEO, Mallam Mele Kyari, along with all board members appointed in November 2023. The new 11-member board comprises experienced professionals poised to execute the Tinubu administration’s ambitious energy reforms.
Ahmadu Musa Kida, a seasoned petroleum industry professional, brings extensive experience from his tenure at Elf Petroleum Nigeria and Total Exploration and Production. An alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a degree in civil engineering, Kida further honed his expertise with a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris.
Kida’s leadership credentials extend beyond the oil sector. As a former professional basketball player and past president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), he has demonstrated strategic leadership and governance acumen. His most recent role as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group underscores his deep engagement in Nigeria’s energy sector. Now at the helm of NNPC Limited, he is expected to drive policy direction and governance reforms that align with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the newly appointed GCEO, is a mechanical engineering graduate from Ahmadu Bello University. His career trajectory includes key roles at Elf Aquitaine, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), and Renaissance Africa Energy Company, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Ojulari’s leadership at Renaissance Africa Energy was marked by a landmark acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria’s (SPDC) assets, a $2.4 billion deal that positioned indigenous firms at the forefront of Nigeria’s energy sector. His vast experience in upstream operations, strategic planning, and field development makes him a pivotal figure in the ongoing restructuring of NNPC.
With a mandate to optimize NNPC’s joint venture assets, expand crude refining capacity, and enhance Nigeria’s gas commercialisation, Ojulari is expected to play a key role in achieving the administration’s target of producing 2 million barrels of oil daily by 2027 and 3 million by 2030.
President Tinubu’s administration has outlined ambitious energy sector goals, including attracting $30 billion in new investments by 2027 and increasing gas production to 8 billion cubic feet daily. The new board’s immediate priority includes a strategic review of NNPC’s portfolio to ensure maximum value creation.
The appointment of Kida and Ojulari reflects Tinubu’s vision for a revitalized NNPC, leveraging their expertise to drive growth, efficiency, and transparency in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
