President Buhari Appoints Kyari As GMD Of NNPC, Seven Chief Operating Officers

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari as the new Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The President also appointed seven new Chief Operating Officers for the Corporation alongside that of the new Group Managing Director, whose appointment is to take effect from July 8, 2019.

A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, said that until his new appointment, Kyari, a geologist, was the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and also doubled, since May 13, 2018, as Nigeria’s National Representative to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.

Ughamadu said that President Buhari has directed that the New GMD and the newly appointed Chief Operating Officers to work with the current occupiers of the various offices till July 7, 2019 towards a smooth transition on July 8, 2019 when their appointments would take effect to ensure a smooth transition.

The NNPC GGM, Group Public Relations however explained that the appointment of Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North West), who is replacing a retiring Chief Operating Officer, is effective from June 28, 2019.

The newly appointed Chief Operating Officers include Mr. Roland Onoriode Ewubare (South-South) – Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, Engr. Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (North Central) – Chief Operating Officer Refining and Petrochemicals and Engr. Yusuf Usman (North East) – Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power

Others are Ms. Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (South East), Chief Operating Officer Ventures, Mr. Umar Isa Ajiya (North West) – Chief Financial Officer, Engr. Adeyemi Adetunji (South West) – Chief Operating Officer, Downstream and Mr. Farouk Garba Said (North West) – Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Services.

Ughamadu further stated that the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, had congratulated the new appointees.

According to Ughamadu; “Mallam Kyari is a quintessential crude oil marketer with prerequisite certification and outfield pedigree in Petroleum Economics and crude oil and gas trading. In the last 27 years he had traversed the entire value chain of the Petroleum Industry, with exceptional records of performance.

“Under his watch, the Crude Oil Marketing Division has recorded noticeable transformation in the management and sales of the various Nigeria’s crude oil grades via an infusion of transparency and automation of the processes, the release by the NNPC spokesperson, stated.”

Kyari would be the 19th Group Managing Director of the National Oil Company.