Breaking: Tinubu Makes Nine Appointments in NNPC Board After Sacking Kyari, Full List Emerges
- President Bola Tinubu has appointed at least nine prominent figures to leadership positions at NNPC Limited
- The new appointments, spanning both executive and non-executive roles, were announced in the early hours of Wednesday, April 2, 2025
- According to the presidency, the appointees are to assume their duties with immediate effect
FCT, Abuja - President Bola Tinubu has announced the appointment of new leadership in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), following the sacking of its immediate leader, Mele Kyari, and other board members.
Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu's special adviser on information and strategy, announced the development in a statement in the early hours of Wednesday, April 2, 2025. He stated that the appointments include both executive and non-executive directors of the Nigerian oil firm.

Source: Twitter
Tinubu appoints Ojulari as new NNPC GCEO
According to the statement, Tinubu has appointed Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman. The president also announced the appointment of Adedapo Segun, who took over the role of chief financial officer from Umaru Isa Ajiya last November, as a member of the board.
The president also approved the appointment of Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, to represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
New NNPC non-executive directors appointed by Tinubu
The presidency also announced that Tinubu appointed six board members, who are non-executive directors, to represent each of the country's geopolitical zones. These non-executive directors are:
S/N | Name | Region |
1 | Bello Rabiu | North West |
2 | Yusuf Usman | North East |
3 | Babs Omotowa | North Central |
4 | Austin Avuru | South South |
5 | David Ige | South West |
6 | Henry Obih | South East |
NNPC ends crude in naira sale to Dangote
This came amid the growing controversy between the NNPC Limited and Dangote Refinery, a major privately owned refinery in Nigeria. The NNPCL earlier agreed to sell Nigeria's crude oil to the refinery in naira, with the hope of stabilising the naira and reducing fuel prices in Nigeria.
However, the deal ended a month ago, and the two companies were unable to renew the contract, leading to a rise in fuel prices. As a result, retailers now import fuel instead of purchasing from Dangote, which also sells in dollars following the contract’s expiration.
Recall that Dangote had earlier accused the NNPCL leadership of a plot to sabotage his business and continue to import substandard fuel from Malta.
Tinubu appoints Kyari as NNPC boss
Legit.ng earlier reported that Kyari's tenure was expected to end in 2027, in accordance with Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021. However, President Tinubu held the ultimate authority over Kyari’s position, and any decision regarding his removal rested solely with him.
In November 2023, Tinubu reappointed Kyari to continue leading the NNPC, suggesting that the President was satisfied with his performance. However, Kyari’s leadership and Tinubu’s appointments at the NNPC sparked controversy, with some critics accusing the President of ethnic bias.
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Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng

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James Ojo (Copyeditor) James Ojo is a copy editor at Legit.ng. He is an award-winning journalist with a speciality in investigative journalism. He is a fellow of Nigeria Health Watch Prevent Epidemics Journalism Fellowship (2023), WSCIJ Collaborative Media Project (2022), ICIR Health Reporting (2022), YouthHubAfrica’s Basic Education Media Fellowship (2022), Countering the Fake News Epidemic (MacArthur Foundation) 2021, and Tiger Eye Foundation Fellowship. Email: james.ojo@corp.legit.ng