Tinubu Sacks Kyari, Akinyelure, Appoints New NNPC Chairman, GCEO
President Bola Tinubu has made an all-round reconstitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Board, removing the chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure and the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mallam Mele Kyari.
Tinubu, as contained in a State House press release early Wednesday morning by the Special Adviser (Information & Strategy) to the President, Bayo Onanuga, removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.
According to Onanuga, the decision, effective April 2, 2025, as President Tinubu cited the need for enhanced operational efficiency, restored investor confidence, and a more commercially viable NNPC as the driving forces behind the decision.
Invoking his powers under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, President Tinubu reconstituted the board with new leadership aimed at repositioning NNPC Limited for greater productivity and alignment with global best practices.
Kyari was first appointed NNPC chief by former President Muhammadu Buhari but was reappointed in 2023 by President Tinubu.
The new 11-man board has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the non-executive chairman.
Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the Chief Financial Officer, last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu.
During his career, Adedapo was chairman and member of the board of trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
President Tinubu thanked the old board members for their dedicated service to NNPC Limited, particularly their efforts in rehabilitating the old Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which enabled them to resume petroleum product production after prolonged shutdowns.
The president wished them well in their future endeavours.