Open Letter to NNPC GCEO: Revisiting 2019 NNPC Experienced Hire Interview

To:
The Group Chief Executive Officer
Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited
Abuja, Nigeria

From:
A Concerned Nigerian Professional

Date:
May 2025

Your Excellency,

Congratulations on your well-deserved appointment as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited. Your emergence at this pivotal time in our energy sector signals renewed hope for transformation, transparency, and national pride.

In line with your leadership vision and commitment to meritocracy, I would like to bring to your attention a lingering issue that has quietly persisted since 2019, when NNPC launched an Experienced Hire recruitment exercise targeted at seasoned Nigerian professionals—both home and abroad—with the aim of strengthening its human capital and technical depth.

That initiative generated widespread national interest and goodwill. Many professionals, including myself, participated in the process with dedication and optimism. After a rigorous application and interview process, the recruitment exercise was unexpectedly abandoned midstream, without formal communication, closure, or implementation. Despite the passage of time, no official explanation has been provided, leaving a trail of disillusionment among many qualified Nigerian professionals who had looked forward to serving the nation through NNPC.

This silence has not only raised questions about transparency and accountability but also sent a discouraging signal to patriotic experts who are willing to contribute to national development. These were individuals who had built global careers and technical reputations, yet remained committed to returning home to serve under the right conditions of fairness and institutional credibility.

In light of your appointment and the current drive to reposition NNPC Limited as a world-class, commercially viable entity, I respectfully request that you consider revisiting the 2019 experienced hire exercise. Doing so would achieve several critical outcomes:

1. Reinforce public confidence in the transparency of NNPC’s recruitment processes;
2. Re-engage a pool of top-tier Nigerian talent that was vetted and found suitable;
3. Demonstrate institutional continuity and fairness, correcting a past lapse;
4. Enhance national development by leveraging the expertise of professionals who bring global standards, technical depth, and patriotic commitment.

Revisiting this matter—even through a formal audit or independent review—would be a significant step toward reconciling merit-based recruitment with national interest. It would also align with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the ongoing reform efforts across Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

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Your leadership presents a unique opportunity to correct historical oversights and strengthen NNPC’s legacy as an employer of choice. I trust that your tenure will be marked not only by bold decisions in business but by actions that restore integrity, fairness, and excellence in public service.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

With highest regards,

Concerned Nigerian Professional Energy Professional & Former Candidate in the 2019 NNPC Experienced Hire Programme