The recently appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to delivering on the company’s strategic national mandates through purposeful collaboration with key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
Ojulari gave this assurance on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, where both leaders reiterated their shared vision for revitalising Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Addressing the minister and his team during the visit, Ojulari noted that the new management of NNPC Ltd is stepping into office with a firm resolve to drive transformation through inclusive leadership and efficient stakeholder engagement. According to him, the path to success in repositioning the country’s energy sector lies in aligning efforts across government institutions and industry partners.
He stated that the leadership team intends to break away from bureaucratic bottlenecks by fostering a culture of transparency, efficiency, and synergy across all levels. Ojulari emphasised that partnership, rather than antagonism, would define the company’s operational approach moving forward.
“We are here with a mindset of partnership—partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with the Ministry of Finance, and with all other critical stakeholders,” he said. “Our goal is to bridge gaps, foster alignment, and move forward with a united front. Antagonism benefits no one; collaboration is how we win.”
In response, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Lokpobiri, expressed strong confidence in the new NNPC leadership, describing it as one of the most formidable management teams ever assembled in the history of the company. He noted that having known several of the executives personally, he has no doubts about their competence and capacity to deliver on critical mandates, especially in the areas of boosting crude oil production and driving value creation across the value chain.
“This is arguably the strongest leadership team NNPC Ltd has ever assembled,” Lokpobiri said. “Now is the time to translate that reputation into measurable results—especially in increasing crude oil production and ensuring the sector delivers optimal value to the Nigerian people.”
He assured Ojulari of his ministry’s full backing, pledging strategic guidance and institutional support to ensure that NNPC thrives and delivers on its mandate of being a commercially viable national energy company.
A statement released by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, highlighted that the renewed engagement between the NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum signals the beginning of a new era of performance-driven governance in the oil and gas industry. The statement noted that the new GCEO’s visit reflects a shift towards purposeful collaboration, operational excellence, and a collective commitment to national development.
Ojulari’s emergence as GCEO is seen by industry stakeholders as a crucial turning point for Nigeria’s energy sector, particularly as the nation seeks to reposition its petroleum assets to align with the global push for energy security, sustainability, and economic diversification.
