The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has grown its workforce by 785 employees in just three months, pushing staff strength to 6,280 by the end of the second quarter of 2025, a 14.3% rise from the 5,495 recorded in March.
Data from NNPCL’s latest quarterly report shows the oil giant’s employee base is also 10.99% higher than the 5,658 personnel reported during the same period in 2024.
Gender and Cadre Breakdown
As of June 2025, men dominated the workforce, with 5,077 male staff members (80.8%) and 1,203 female employees (19.2%). The report reveals uneven changes across employment categories:
- Junior Staff 1 (JS1) dropped from 187 to 175 employees.
- Senior Staff Seven (SS7) decreased from 33 to 31.
- Senior Staff Six (SS6) surged dramatically from 64 to 1,017 employees — the single largest increase across all ranks.
- Other senior staff categories recorded mixed changes, with SS5 (1,075), SS4 (160), SS3 (403), SS2 (474), and SS1 (1,838) showing minor adjustments compared to Q1.
- Management cadres mostly declined, with M6 falling from 724 to 698, M5 from 301 to 248, and M4 from 120 to 114. Only M2 rose slightly from five to seven, while M1 remained at one.
Recruitment vs. Refinery Realities
The recruitment surge comes as the company continues to face public backlash for persistent inefficiencies — particularly in its handling of Nigeria’s long-dormant refineries. Over the years, NNPCL has spent more than $18 billion (about ₦27.63 trillion at current exchange rates) on so-called turnaround maintenance projects, yet the facilities remain largely idle.
The latest funding commitments include $1.5 billion for the Port Harcourt Refinery, $897 million for Warri, and $741 million for Kaduna. Despite these allocations, the plants have not reached sustainable operational capacity.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, recently cast doubt on the viability of all three state-owned refineries, warning they “may never operate properly again” despite the heavy investments. Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for a full audit of rehabilitation expenses before any potential sale of the assets.
NNPCL Leadership Responds
Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari acknowledged the mounting challenges, saying the company is reviewing its refinery rehabilitation strategies and may consider selling the facilities outright. The review is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
For many industry observers, NNPCL’s simultaneous expansion in staffing and ongoing operational failures raise fresh concerns about governance, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility in Nigeria’s flagship oil company.