President Tinubu Sacks NNPC Boss Mele Kyari, Dissolves Board

Mele Kyari has been dismissed by President Bola Tinubu as the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, and the company’s board has been disbanded.

The announcement, which takes effect from April 2, 2025, was made in a statement issued early Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

The president announved Bayo Ojulari as NNPC’s new group CEO, replacing Mele Kyari. Ahmadu Musa Kida has also been named the new non-executive chairman, succeeding Pius Akinyelure, while Adedapo Segun has been confirmed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the company.

Additionally, Tinubu has appointed six non-executive directors, each representing a geopolitical zone. 

Among them are Bello Rabiu for the North-West, Yusuf Usman for the North-East, and Babs Omotowa, former Managing Director of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), representing the North-Central.

Among the newly appointed non-executive directors are Austin Avuru for the South-South, David Ige for the South-West, and Henry Obih for the South-East.

In addition, Lydia Shehu Jafiya, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, and Aminu Said Ahmed from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will serve as representatives of their respective ministries on the reconstituted board..

“This restructuring is aimed at repositioning NNPC Limited for greater productivity and efficiency in line with global best practices. We are taking bold steps to transform the company into a more commercially driven and transparent entity.

“Furthermore, President Tinubu expects the new board to elevate NNPC’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030,” the statement added.