NNPC Gets A New Captain: Bayo Ojulari Takes The Helm Amid Major Leadership Overhaul

The announcement, made on Wednesday, is part of a comprehensive reshuffle of the NNPCL board, which also saw the removal of Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure and all other board members appointed in November 2023. The newly reconstituted 11-member board features Ahmadu Musa Kida as Non-Executive Chairman, with Bayo Ojulari as Group CEO.

Adedapo Segun, who took over from Umaru Isa Ajiya as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) last year, has been retained as a member of the new board.

The board also includes six non-executive directors, each representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones:

• North West: Bello Rabiu

• North East: Yusuf Usman

• North Central: Babs Omotowa, former MD of Nigeria LNG

• South South: Austin Avuru

• South West: David Ige

• South East: Henry Obih

Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the Ministry of Finance, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

All appointments are effective from April 2, 2025.

Who is Bayo Ojulari?

Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari, a native of Kwara State, brings over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry to his new role. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. Under his leadership, Renaissance led the $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) through a consortium of indigenous energy companies.

Ojulari holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He began his career with Elf Aquitaine, becoming the first Nigerian process engineer, and later joined Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991. His international experience spans Europe and the Middle East, where he has worked in various technical and leadership roles, including strategic planner, asset manager, field developer, and production engineer.

In 2015, he was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO). Ojulari has also served as Chairman and Board Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.