President Bola Tinubu has appointed Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, replacing Mele Kyari.
The appointment was announced in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The President exercised his authority under Section 59, Subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 to not only remove Kyari but also dissolve the company’s board, including its chairman, Pius Akinyelure.
In place of the former leadership, Tinubu reconstituted an 11-member board, bringing in new executives to steer the company’s direction.
According to Onanuga, Ojulari’s appointment takes effect from April 2, 2025.
Meet the New NNPCL Boss
Bashir Ojulari, an engineer from Kwara State, has extensive experience in petroleum, process, and production engineering.
Until his latest appointment, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. Under his leadership, the company spearheaded a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria alongside a consortium of indigenous energy firms.
Ojulari holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He began his professional journey as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991 as an associate production technologist.
With a career spanning multiple continents, Ojulari has held managerial positions in Europe and the Middle East, focusing on petroleum and process engineering, production management, and health and safety.
His leadership in the sector earned him a place as a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigeria Council) from 1998 to 1999.
In 2015, he was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and General Manager of Deepwater operations.
He also served on the board of Shell Petroleum Development Company, overseeing various aspects of petroleum engineering, well development, and offshore project execution.
Beyond his roles in Nigeria, Ojulari has worked globally as a strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager in the petroleum sector.
