President Bola Tinubu has officially inaugurated the board and management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), seven weeks after their initial appointment on April 2, 2025.
At a brief ceremony held Thursday afternoon at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, Tinubu administered the oath of office to Ahmadu Kida, the Non-Executive Chairman, and Bashir Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL. Other board members were also formally inaugurated.
Following the ceremony, the President proceeded to attend the All Progressives Congress National Summit at the State House Banquet Hall.
The newly inaugurated 11-member board includes regional representatives and industry veterans. Adedapo Segun and Bello Rabiu will represent the North West, while Yusuf Usman takes the North East slot. Former NLNG Managing Director Babs Omotowa will represent the North Central.
Also appointed are Austin Avuru as Non-Executive Director for the South-South, David Ige for the South-West, and Henry Obih representing the South-East. Lydia Jafiya, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, joins the board as the ministry’s representative, and Aminu Ahmed will serve on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Several senior government officials attended the ceremony, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri.
The inauguration marks a key step in President Tinubu’s ongoing efforts to reposition NNPCL for greater operational efficiency and governance transparency under the Petroleum Industry Act.