Mele Kyari Remains as NNPC GMD Amid Shake Up

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, is not heading to the exit door despite speculations amid continued organisational changes to the management of the state oil company.

In a statement on Monday night, it was stated that in “addition to the recent exit of three Executive Vice Presidents, other Management Staff with less than 15 months to statutory retirement will be exiting the company effective 19th September 2023.”

What this means is that the exit is happening downward since three Executive Vice Presidents were changed over the weekend.

The statement said the move is coming amid the NNPC’s bid to pursue effective organisational renewal to support the delivery of its strategic business objectives.

“This is in line with our commitment to scale up NNPC Ltd.’s capabilities through targeted talent management and equal opportunity for all Nigerians,” the statement signed by the management said.

Previous NNPC statements were signed by Mr Garba Deen. This could signify that the Chief Corporate Communication Officer is affected by this recent change.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2019 appointed Mr Kyari to take up the post from the late Maikanti Baru for a period of five years, effective from July 7, 2019.

Mr Kyari, by statute, now has less than 10 months at the helm of the nation’s oil company.

Until his appointment by President Buhari, My Kyari, a geologist, was the Group General Manager for the Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since May 13, 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Business Post reports that the NNPC Limited on Saturday announced management changes and appointed new executive vice presidents for its upstream, downstream, gas and power operations.

Mr Oritsemeyiwa A. Eyesan was announced as Executive Vice President for Upstream; Mr Olalekan Ogunleye as the Executive Vice President for Gas, Power, and New Energy; and Mr Adedapo A. Segun as the Executive Vice President for Downstream.

Recall that NNPC Limited took over the assets of the nation’s oil company (NNPC) after 46 years of its operations as a corporation.

The company took over after attaining legal requirements within the stipulated 18 months in line with section 54 (3) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, and the corporation transitioned into a company whose operations will be regulated by the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had, in July 2022, unveiled the new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, a landmark development that officially changed the oil firm from a wholly state-run entity to a commercial oil company limited by shares.

The legal transition, based on the new Petroleum Industry Act, took effect on 1 July. The NNPC completed its incorporation in September 2021, weeks after the PIA was signed into law by Mr Buhari.