President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Tuesday, announced a major restructuring of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited board, which includes the removal of the former chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and the group chief executive officer (CEO), Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari.
Along with these changes, the President has appointed a new 11-member board to steer the company forward. The new board features Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as the non-executive chairman.
Here are 11 things to know about the new NNPCL CEO, Bashir Ojulari
1. He is a native of Kwara State, Nigeria.
2. He studied mechanical engineering at Ahmadu Bello University before beginning his career in the oil and gas industry.
3. Ojulari began his professional journey as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine, gaining early experience in petroleum engineering.
4. Ojulari moved to Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991, where he worked as an associate production technologist.
5. Between 1998 and 1999, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigeria Council).
6. Over the years, Ojulari took on managerial roles in Europe, the Middle East, and Nigeria, focusing on petroleum engineering, process engineering, and health and safety.
7. In November 2015, Ojulari was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and General Manager of Deepwater operations.
8. While at Shell, he played a key role in overseeing onshore and offshore petroleum engineering, well engineering, and project development.
9. Before his appointment as NNPCL CEO, Ojulari was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company.
10. His company played a major role in the acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company’s equity holding in Nigeria in a deal worth $2.4 billion.
11. President Bola Tinubu appointed Ojulari as the new NNPCL boss on April 2, 2025, as part of efforts to restructure the organization.
