The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has raised alarm over what it describes as a well-orchestrated sabotage campaign aimed at discrediting its leadership and undermining the reforms currently underway in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
In a statement released by the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, NNPC claimed that certain vested interests and syndicates threatened by the company’s anti-corruption drive are behind a series of fabricated reports and manipulated videos circulating across media platforms. These materials, the company said, are designed to mislead the public, malign the image of its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, and slow down the progress of strategic reforms.
One such video, which recently went viral, falsely alleged that petrol supplied by NNPC had a shorter generator run-time compared to that of competitors. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has since dismissed the claims as unfounded and lacking scientific backing, calling it a “poorly coordinated attempt to mislead consumers.”
NNPC further clarified that contrary to misinformation circulating online, the company has not imported petrol in 2025. Soneye described such claims as “baseless and reckless,” and reiterated that the organization has consistently adhered to industry standards in fuel distribution. He added that the fuel currently being sold across NNPC retail outlets meets all regulatory quality benchmarks.
Supporting NNPC’s position, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Transparency and Accountability issued a statement condemning the disinformation attacks. The group accused certain individuals and interests of trying to derail the current leadership’s transparency initiatives and the revival of local refineries. They noted that the timing of the smear campaign appears to align with the recent operational gains made at the Dangote Refinery and other major industry shifts.
Also speaking on the matter, Mele Kyari described the situation as the work of an “oil mafia” unsettled by his administration’s push to sanitise the petroleum sector. While addressing a Senate ad-hoc committee, he said the attacks were not accidental but part of a deliberate plot to frustrate reforms that would reduce Nigeria’s dependency on fuel imports and restore the operational capacity of the country’s refineries.
NNPC warned that it would take legal action against any individuals or organisations found culpable of spreading falsehoods capable of inciting public distrust or causing economic sabotage. The company urged Nigerians to rely only on verified information released through official channels and not fall prey to unverified claims on social media.
The company has recently embarked on several key reforms, including the rehabilitation of refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, efforts to deepen local crude oil refining, and steps to ensure accountability across the oil and gas value chain.
