A prominent member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Abdullahi Hashim, has lauded President Bola Tibubu’s appointments of the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari and the Non-Executive Chairman of the company’s Board, Ahmadu Kida.
He added that Tinubu’s appointment of Ojulari, Kida and other members of the board was a step in the right direction, saying that the duo, who are engineers with high distinction, now have the opportunity to transform the national firm into a profitable venture.
Hashim, who is also an alumnus of Harvard University and a member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), stated this during an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday.
He further commended Tinubu for ensuring that individuals with vast engineering, technical and leadership experience would manage the NNPCL affairs, saying that the new leadership would usher in a transformative era for the national firm, fostering efficiency, transparency and innovation in the oil and gas sector.
He said: “It is refreshing to note that individuals with vast engineering, technical, and leadership experience are now at the helm of the NNPCL. I wish to say with high sense of responsibility that the appointments aligned with global best practices in energy governance.
“The strategic appointments were pivotal to achieving sustainable energy security, infrastructural growth and economic development.”
It is instructive to note that Ojulari, who hails from Kwara State, is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigeria Council), while Kida, who comes from Borno State, holds an engineering degree from ABU and a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the French Petroleum Institute.
Speaking on the competence of Ojulari and Kida to turn around the fortunes of the NNPCL, Hashim said he was confident that his two professional colleagues would live up to expectations and achieve the targets set for them by President Tinubu.
“Ojulari and Kida are very competent for the jobs. They are active players in the oil industry with the requisite experience. They know what is at stake and the targets set for them by President Tinubu. I’m confident that the duo and other members of the management team will meet the targets and take the NNPCL to greater heights.
“We all know that the oil industry is volatile and quite challenging. Former GCEO, Mele Kyari and his management team have done their best. Ojulari, Kida and the new management team are now in charge and will use their expertise and wide knowledge of the oil industry to take us forward in our quest to maximise the advantages of being one of the world’s producers of crude oil.
“They will surely ensure good results from the NNPCL’s refineries in Port Harcourt and Warri and the timely completion of the rehabilitation of Kaduna Refinery. The tasks are enormous but they have the capacity to deliver on set objectives.
“It is important to note that Ojulari has distinguished himself as the right man for the job, having piloted affairs as the Managing Director of SNEPCo and General Manager, Deepwater. He also served on the board of Shell Petroleum Development Company, overseeing onshore and offshore petroleum engineering, technical integration of development, well engineering and project engineering.
“Don’t forget that Kida’s experience spanned over 32 years in the oil and gas industry. He also joined Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited, now Total Exploration & Production Nigeria (TEPNG), in 1985. In the first 15 years of his career at Total, he played key roles in many company projects, including the OBITE Gas Plant Project (Onshore Nigeria), the AMENAM/KPONO Phase 1 Project (Offshore Nigeria), and the OML 58 Upgrade Project located Onshore Nigeria.”
He further disclosed that with Ojulari and Kida’s wealth of experience, the stage is now set for the NNPCL to witness dynamic growth for the positive development of the country.
Tinubu had, during the appointments of Ojulari and Kida, handed out immediate action plans to the new management board to conduct a strategic portfolio review of the NNPCL-operated and joint venture assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.
The President further asked the new NNPCL management team to envisions increasing the country’s investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga also outlined Tinubu’s expectations from Ojulari and Kida, saying, “Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented oil sector reforms to attract investment.
“Last year, NNPC reported $17 billion in new investments within the sector. The administration now envisions increasing the investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.
“The Tinubu administration targets raising oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027 and three million daily by 2030. Concurrently, the government wants gas production jacked to eight billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet by 2030.
“Furthermore, President Tinubu expects the new board to elevate NNPCL’s share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030,” the statement added.
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