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The new management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed the managing directors of the three refineries under its purview, the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
In addition to the refineries’ managing directors, several senior officials of the national oil company, including Bala Wunti, the former chief of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of NNPCL, were also asked to step down.
The shakeup comes as part of efforts by the new management team to implement significant changes and streamline operations within the company.
Sources familiar with the developments confirmed the dismissals to Punch, although NNPCL’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.
The new management also instructed several officials nearing their retirement age, with one year or less to go before their expected retirement dates, to leave the company.
These moves signal a broader restructuring of the company as it seeks to enhance its operations and performance in the years to come.
Naija News reports that this latest development follows the April 2, 2025, dismissal of the former Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, alongside other board members.
The sackings were part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader overhaul of the national oil company, which aimed to boost Nigeria’s crude and gas output.
Sources at the Presidency revealed that the decision to remove Kyari and others was driven by performance concerns, citing a failure to meet key production targets.
“The previous leadership was going in circles. “Some of them became part of the problem, rather than the solution,” said one insider.
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter officially, told our correspondent, “The President did this because of their performance, because we needed to do things differently. The former people were taking us in circles, and then some of them became part of the problem.
“There needs to be a new direction. You need new people to bring new energy into the system. Look at them. Every one of them is capable. They are core industry professionals, real industry experts who know the industry inside and out. They are not politicians. This is the first time we have an entire cast of technocrats.”
Another official said, “It is not about (Kyari’s) age. The NNPCL is a limited liability company and is not governed by civil service rules. So, it’s not about his age. There is always a need to get new brains that can deliver in new directions. The President has his mandate, which is clearly stated in the statement. He gave them his performance metrics, such as the amount of crude we produce. He asked them to review all blocks because we want to know which ones are producing and which are not.
“We have to optimise those that are not producing. He wants them to review all our assets within a certain period and give us good production. By 2030, they must be producing 3,000,000 barrels per day, and between now and 2027, we must stabilise at 2,000,000 per day. Then, gas, we must produce 10 billion cubic meters between now and 2030. These are performance metrics, and that is how it should be done.
“But the former system was not giving us that. They have been around the same spot for years. Our OPEC quota has not improved much since 1973. We have not been able to meet them. That is why reforms are important.”
Speaking on the latest shakeup that swept the managers of the three refineries under NNPCL management, a source at the company, who spoke to Punch on the matter, said, “The three MDs have been asked to leave.
“They include the MDs of Port Harcourt Refining Company, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company. Some other senior managers were asked to leave as well.”
Another official at the company confirmed this, stating that “Bala Wunti was also affected. Several of them who have a year to retirement were asked to go. Maryam Idrisu was appointed Managing Director of NNPC Trading.” NNPC Trading is the subsidiary responsible for all crude oil transactions.
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