From being Elf Aquitaine’s first Nigerian process engineer to leading Shell’s exploration arm and orchestrating major energy deals, Bashir Bayo Ojulari brings a wealth of experience to NNPC’s top job following his appointment by President Tinubu
Abuja – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday appointed Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, replacing Mele Kyari. The appointment is part of a major restructuring of the NNPC board, which also saw the removal of Group Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure and other board members appointed in November 2023. According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Ojulari will now lead the national oil company amid ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Who is Bashir Bayo Ojulari? Key Facts About the New NNPC Boss
Bashir Bayo Ojulari, a Kwara State indigene, is a seasoned energy executive with over three decades of experience in the oil and gas industry. Before his appointment, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, where he played a pivotal role in a consortium’s $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). An alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Ojulari began his career at Elf Aquitaine as the first Nigerian process engineer. He later joined Shell in 1991, rising to become Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) in 2015. A Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Ojulari has also held leadership roles in the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), cementing his reputation as a key figure in Nigeria’s engineering and energy sectors.
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