President Bola Tinubu has formally inaugurated the newly constituted board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), appointing Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group Chief Executive Officer and Ahmadu Musa Kida as Non-Executive Chairman.

  The swearing-in ceremony was held in his office at the State House in Abuja shortly before the President proceeded to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Summit at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.

  The 11-member board includes prominent figures from various geopolitical zones, reflecting a strategic blend of industry experience and regional representation.

  Among those appointed are Adedapo Segun and Bello Rabiu, representing the North-West; Yusuf Usman, representing the North-East; and Babs Omotowa, a former Managing Director of NLNG, representing the North-Central.

  Also on the board are Austin Avuru, Non-Executive Director for the South-South; David Ige, representing the South-West; and Henry Obih, representing the South-East.

  The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, will serve on the board as the ministry’s representative, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

  Top government officials present at the swearing-in included the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Heineken Lokpobiri.

  All appointments officially took effect from April 2, 2025.

MEANWHILE, the chieftain of Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Anabs Sara-Igbe, has told the newly sworn-in Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr Bayo Ojulari, to avoid neglecting the oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta or risk failure.

    Sara-Igbe lamented the systemic neglect of the region in the oil sector leadership, declaring that the marginalisation is enough.  The PANDEF chief, yesterday, said since Ojulari’s appointment, he is lacking connection with the oil-rich region, warning that unless the new GMD engages local stakeholders and addresses the environmental and economic degradation in the area, his administration would face fierce resistance.

    He urged Ojulari to visit the Niger Delta, witness the level of environmental devastation firsthand, and engage with local leaders to develop an inclusive oil sector strategy, saying: “This is not the era where oil companies operate without developing the communities. If the GMD fails to understand this dynamic, there will be no peace.”

    According to him, there is a need to initiate programmes and projects that will bring upliftment to the region, decrying that the region continues to suffer neglect despite producing the nation’s primary source of revenue.