What You Should Know About New NNPC Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), replacing Mallam Mele Kyari.

The announcement, made on Wednesday, comes as part of a sweeping overhaul of the NNPCL board, which also saw the removal of Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure and all other board members appointed in November 2023.

The newly reconstituted 11-member board features Ahmadu Musa Kida as Non-Executive Chairman, alongside Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO.

Adedapo Segun, who succeeded Umaru Isa Ajiya as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) last year, has been retained as a member of the new board.

The board also includes six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones:

• North West: Bello Rabiu
• North East: Yusuf Usman
• North Central: Babs Omotowa, former MD of Nigeria LNG
• South South: Austin Avuru
• South West: David Ige
• South East: Henry Obih

Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the Ministry of Finance, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

All appointments take effect from April 2, 2025.

Who is Bayo Ojulari?

Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari, who hails from Kwara State, brings over three decades of experience in the oil and gas sector to his new role.

Until his appointment, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. Under his leadership, Renaissance spearheaded a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) through a consortium of indigenous energy firms.

Ojulari is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He began his career with Elf Aquitaine, where he was the first Nigerian process engineer, and later joined Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991.

His international experience spans Europe and the Middle East, where he worked in various technical and leadership roles including strategic planner, asset manager, field developer, and production engineer.

In 2015, he was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO).

Ojulari has also served as Chairman and Board Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.