Meet new top NNPCL Executives, Musa Kida, Bashir Ojulari

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dissolved the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), removing Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) Mele Kyari and board chairman Pius Akinyelure.

The announcement was made by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga in a statement shared on X early Wednesday, confirming that the changes take effect from April 2, 2025.

Meet Ahmadu Musa Kida

Ahmadu Musa Kida, the newly appointed board chairman, hails from Borno State. He obtained a degree in civil engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1984 and later earned a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris.

Kida began his career in the oil industry at Elf Petroleum Nigeria before moving to Total Exploration and Production as a trainee engineer in 1985. In 2015, he rose to the position of Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services at Total Nigeria.

“Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group. Apart from his oil industry career, Kida is a former basketballer and the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) board,” the statement noted.

Bashir Ojulari Takes Over as GCEO

Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL GCEO, is from Kwara State. Before his appointment, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. He played a key role in leading a consortium of local energy firms in acquiring Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) in a $2.4 billion deal.

Ojulari, also a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, studied Mechanical Engineering. He started his career at Elf Aquitaine as Nigeria’s first process engineer before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991 as an associate production technologist.

His extensive experience in the oil sector includes working in Nigeria, Europe, and the Middle East in various roles, including petroleum process engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager.

“In 2015, he became the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO). During his career, he was chairman and member of the board of trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers,” the statement added.