The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has carried out a sweeping shake-up in its management, sacking the Managing Directors of the nation’s three key refineries—Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
In addition to the refinery heads, several senior officials were shown the door, including Bala Wunti, former head of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a critical subsidiary of the NNPCL.
Insiders also revealed that staff with less than a year to their retirement were asked to proceed on early exit as part of the ongoing restructuring drive.
While NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye did not respond to media inquiries, multiple reliable sources within the company confirmed the shake-up, attributing it to efforts by the new management to reposition the national oil giant.
The development has sparked a range of reactions from Nigerians, many of whom see it as a long-overdue move.
Joseph Prekemeh Boroh, a retired civil servant, welcomed the action but said it was insufficient: “What Nigerians want is a comprehensive probe into the NNPCL’s operations dating back to 1999. This shake-up is just scratching the surface.”
Currency trader Bala Abubakar described the move as a promising beginning. “It’s a good start for the new Group Managing Director. We need more transparency and accountability in the NNPCL, and this may just be the first step,” he said.
Dr. Alice Anjorin, a clinical psychologist, urged caution: “Let’s adopt a wait-and-see approach. It’s too early to celebrate. What Nigerians want is a complete overhaul of the NNPCL, with forensic investigations into its financial dealings over the past two decades.”
This wave of dismissals follows the recent removal of former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, and other board members by President Bola Tinubu on April 2, 2025. The president’s action was part of a broader reform agenda aimed at boosting oil and gas output and revamping the energy sector.
Sources close to the presidency said Kyari and his team were removed due to underperformance and failure to meet critical production targets. “They were going in circles,” one source said, “and some had become part of the problem rather than the solution.”
The latest round of dismissals appears to be a continuation of that reform effort, signaling a possible new direction for Nigeria’s beleaguered oil industry.
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