Key Facts About Bashir Ojulari, the Newly Appointed NNPCL Chief

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The Special Adviser made the announcement early Wednesday to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

In a statement titled ‘President Tinubu reconstitutes NNPC Limited board, appoints new Chairman, Group CEO,’ Onanuga detailed that President Tinubu, under the authority of Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, dismissed the former NNPCL GMD, Mele Kyari.

The President also dissolved the previous board, including its chairman, Pius Akinyelure, and established a new 11-member board.

The appointment of Ojulari will be effective from April 2, 2025.

Profile of Bashir Ojulari

Bashir Ojulari hails from Kwara State and is a seasoned engineer with extensive experience in petroleum, process, and production engineering. Prior to this role, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company.

His leadership was instrumental in a consortium that completed the acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, valued at $2.4 billion.

Ojulari graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He started his professional journey as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine and joined Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991 as an associate production technologist.

A respected member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ojulari also served on the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigeria Council) Board of Trustees from 1998 to 1999.

His career has spanned across managerial positions in Europe and the Middle East, focusing on various aspects of petroleum engineering.

In 2015, Ojulari was named Managing Director of SNEPCo and General Manager of Deepwater. He has also served on the board of Shell Petroleum Development Company, overseeing significant technical and engineering projects both onshore and offshore.

His international experience includes roles in Europe and the Middle East, where he worked as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager.

Ojulari’s diverse experience and leadership skills are expected to steer NNPCL toward new horizons in the energy sector under his guidance.