President Bola Tinubu has appointed Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).The announcement was made in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The statement, titled “President Tinubu Reconstitutes NNPC Limited Board, Appoints New Chairman, Group CEO,” confirmed that Ojulari’s appointment takes effect from April 2, 2025. Tinubu, invoking the powers granted under Section 59, Subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, also dismissed former NNPCL CEO Mele Kyari and dissolved the company’s board, including its chairman, Pius Akinyelure. A new 11-member board has now been constituted.
Who is Bashir Ojulari?
Bashir Ojulari, an indigene of Kwara State, is a seasoned engineer with extensive expertise in petroleum, process, and production engineering. Before his appointment, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. His firm recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria.
Ojulari holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He began his career as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991 as an associate production technologist.
A fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, he has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigeria Council).With a career spanning several decades, Ojulari has held managerial roles in Europe and the Middle East, specialising in petroleum engineering, process engineering, production engineering, and health and safety.
In November 2015, he was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and General Manager, Deepwater. He also served on the board of Shell Petroleum Development Company, overseeing onshore and offshore petroleum engineering, technical integration, well engineering, and project management.
With his wealth of experience in the energy sector, Ojulari is expected to play a key role in advancing NNPCL’s strategic goals under Tinubu’s administration.
