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Why Tinubu Sacked Kyari, NNPC Board, Appointed New Persons – Presidency

Published

3 weeks ago

Apr 2, 2025.

Why Tinubu Sacked Kyari, NNPC Board, Appointed New Persons – Presidency
Bayo Ojulari replaces Mele Kyari as GCEO, while Ahmadu Musa Kida becomes board chairman.
The overhaul is aimed at improving efficiency and restoring investor trust.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended the president’s decision to overhaul the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, describing it as a necessary response to a “crisis of confidence” in the company and the broader oil and gas sector.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a statement shared on his 𝕏 account on Wednesday, Bwala explained that the shake-up was crucial to injecting fresh perspectives and improving efficiency within the organization.

“The reconstitution of the NNPCL board is apt, timely, and strategic. There have been reports of a crisis of confidence within the company and the oil and gas industry as a whole, hence the need for reform,” he stated.

Quoting physicist Albert Einstein, Bwala added: “To solve a problem, you need to approach it with a different mindset and perspective than the one that led to its creation.”

Earlier, Naija News reported that President Tinubu had dismissed Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) and dissolved the NNPC board, effective April 2, 2025.

The decision, announced in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, was made under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. According to Onanuga, the leadership overhaul is aimed at making NNPC more commercially viable and restoring investor confidence in the oil sector.

As part of the reforms, Bayo Ojulari, a seasoned oil and gas expert, has been appointed as the new GCEO, replacing Kyari. Meanwhile, Ahmadu Musa Kida has been named as the new non-executive chairman, taking over from Pius Akinyelure.

Why Tinubu Sacked Kyari

Additionally, the restructuring includes the appointment of six non-executive directors, each representing a geopolitical zone in Nigeria, to strengthen the company’s leadership.