Mele Kyari appointed as new group managing director of NNPC

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He takes over from Dr Maikanti Baru who statutorily retires next.

Also appointed were six new Chief Operating Officers and a Chief Financial Officer.

A statement signed by the NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, indicates that all the new appointees are to work collaboratively with the current management of the NNPC until July 8, when the new hands will take over fully.

Until his new appointment, Kyari, a Geologist, was Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since 13th May, 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.

The statement read: “President Buhari has directed that the New GMD and the newly appointed Chief Operating Officers work with the current occupiers of the various offices till 7th July, 2019 towards a smooth transition on 8th July 2019 when their appointments would take effect to ensure a smooth transition. However, the appointment of Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North West), who is replacing a retiring Chief Operating Officer, is effective from 28th June, 2019.

The newly appointed Chief Operating Officers are: Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-South) – Chief Operating Officer, Upstream; Engr. Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (North Central) – Chief Operating Officer Refining and Petrochemicals; Engr. Yusuf Usman (North East) – Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power; Ms. Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (South East), Chief Operating Officer Ventures; Mr. Umar Isa Ajiya (North West) – Chief Financial Officer; Engr. Adeyemi Adetunji (South West) – Chief Operating Officer, Downstream and Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North West) – Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services.

Ughamadu stated in the release that NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had congratulated the new appointees.

Kyari, Ughamadu noted, is a crude oil marketer with prerequisite certification and outfield pedigree in Petroleum Economics and crude oil and gas trading.

In the last 27 years, he had traversed the entire value chain of the Petroleum Industry, with exceptional records of performance.

Under his watch, the Crude Oil Marketing Division has recorded noticeable transformation in the management and sales of the various Nigeria’s crude oil grades via an infusion of transparency and automation of the processes, the release by the NNPC Spokesperson, stated.

Kyari would be the 19th Group Managing Director of the national oil company.

Another appointee, Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare who hails from the South-South region of the country is the new Chief Operating Officer, Upstream.

Until his new appointment, he was the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investments and Management Services, a Corporate Services (NAPIMS) unit of the Corporation headquartered in Lagos. Before his NAPIMS’ appointment, he was Managing Director of the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), a seismic data acquisition company of NNPC based in Benin.

Engr. Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu hails from North Central region of the country and is newly appointed as Chief Operating Officer, Refining and Petrochemicals. Until his new appointment he was the Managing Director of National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO).

Engr. Yusuf Usman hails from North East and is Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power. Until his new appointment, Engr. Usman was Senior Technical Assistant to the Group Managing Director of the corporation.

Ms. Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu, from South East, is newly appointed as Chief Operating Officer, Ventures. She, until her new appointment, was the Group General Manager, NNPC Oil Field Services, established to provide technical services to players in the Industry.

Mr. Mr. Umar Isa Ajiya, from North West region of the Country who holds the new position of Chief Financial Officer, was until his recent appointment, the Managing Director of Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) of NNPC, a Downstream arm of the corporation. Prior to holding the position as the Managing Director of PPMC, he was the corporation’s Group General Manager Corporate Planning and Strategy (CP&S).

Engr. Adeyemi Adetunji, who is from the South West region of the Country, holding the new appointment of Chief Operating Officer, Downstream, was until his new appointment the Managing Director of NNPC Retail Limited, a Downstream Marketing Company of NNPC. Prior to his position as the MD of the Downstream Marketing Company, he was General Manager, Transformation Department, a think-tank unit of the corporation.

Mr. Farouk Garba Said who hails from North West and holds the new position of Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services, was Group General Manager, Engineering and Technology Division of NNPC. Mr. Said would be taking over from the present occupier of the office who retires statutorily on 28th June, 2019.

The new appointees have been directed to work with the current occupiers of the various offices by President Buhari till 7th July, 2019 to ensure a smooth transition on 8th July 2019 when their appointments would take effect.