On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the appointment of Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), succeeding Mallam Mele Kyari.
This appointment is part of a comprehensive restructuring of the NNPCL, which also included the removal of Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure and the entire board that had been appointed in November 2023.
The NNPC, established in 1977, is Nigeria’s state-owned oil corporation. Since its inception, the company has seen 20 individuals serve as the head of its management in the capacity of Group Managing Director.
Here’s a complete list of the Group Managing Directors of NNPC from its establishment until now:
1. Bashir Bayo Ojulari (2025 – Present)
Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari, hailing from Kwara State, brings over three decades of experience in the oil and gas industry to his new role. Before his appointment, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. During his tenure at Renaissance, Ojulari led a $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) through a consortium of indigenous energy firms.
Ojulari is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He started his career as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine before moving to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991.
2. Mele Kyari (2019 – 2025)
Mele Kyari, a Nigerian geologist and crude oil marketer, served as the first Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. Before his appointment, Kyari was the Group General Manager for the Crude Oil Marketing Division of NNPC and the Nigerian National Representative at OPEC from 2018.
3. Maikanti Baru (2016 – 2019)
Maikanti Baru was the 18th Group Managing Director of NNPC. He served in this position from July 2016 to July 2019 and previously held the role of Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services. He was also a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
4. Ibe Kachikwu (2015 – 2016)
Ibe Kachikwu, a Nigerian lawyer and politician, served as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and the former Group Managing Director of NNPC.
5. Joseph Thlama Dawha (2014 – 2015)
Joseph Dawha was appointed the Group Managing Director of NNPC by President Goodluck Jonathan, serving from August 2014 to August 2015. Prior to this, he was the Group Executive Director of Exploration and Production at NNPC.
6. Andrew Yakubu (2012 – 2014)
Andrew Yakubu served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC from 2012 until 2014. He was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan but was relieved of his position to strengthen the reforms at NNPC, with Joseph Dawha succeeding him.
7. Augustine O. Oniwon (2010 – 2012)
Augustine Oniwon, a Harvard and Oxford-trained engineer, joined NNPC in 1977. He held several significant roles, including head of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
8. Shenu Ladan (2010)
Shenu Ladan served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC in 2010, contributing to strategic oil and gas management decisions during his brief tenure.
9. Muhammed Barkindo (2009 – 2010)
Muhammed Barkindo, a former Secretary-General of OPEC, served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC from 2009 to 2010. He was instrumental in the creation of an alliance between OPEC and other oil-producing countries.
10. Abubakar Yar’Adua (2007 – 2009)
Abubakar Yar’Adua, the late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s brother, served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC. He emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for corruption during his tenure.
11. Funsho Kupolokun (2003 – 2007)
Engineer Funsho Kupolokun, a Shell scholar with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos, served as Group Managing Director of NNPC from 2003 to 2007. He also served as the Special Assistant to the President on Petroleum Matters.
12. Jackson G. Obaseki (1999 – 2003)
Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, an energy technocrat, served as NNPC’s GMD from 1999 to 2003. He played a key role in Nigeria’s oil and gas reforms, including the formulation of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which later became the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
13. Dalhatu Bayero (1995 – 1999)
Dalhatu Bayero was Group Managing Director of NNPC between 1995 and 1999. He was also the younger brother of the former Emir of Kano, HRH Alhaji Ado Bayero.
14. Chamberlain Oyibo (1993 – 1995)
Chamberlain Oruwari Oyibo served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC from 1993 to 1995 and was the 10th GMD of the organization.
15. Edmund Daukoru (1992 – 1993)
Edmund Daukoru, a former Nigerian Minister of State for Energy and Secretary-General of OPEC, served as the Group Managing Director of NNPC from 1992 to 1993.
16. Thomas John (April 1990 – June 1992)
Dr. Thomas John served as NNPC’s fifth GMD from April 1990 to June 1992, after succeeding the late Dr. Aret Adams.
17. Aret Adams (1985 – 1990)
Dr. Aret Adams introduced a group structure and merit-based management system during his tenure as the Group Managing Director from 1985 to 1990, transforming NNPC into a globally competitive corporation.
18. Lawrence Amu (1981 – 1985)
Lawrence Amu served as NNPC’s Group Managing Director from 1981 to 1985. He had previously been involved in significant energy projects, including the Egbin Power Station.
19. Odoliyi Lolomari (1980 – 1981)
Chief Odoliyi Lolomari served as the GMD of NNPC and represented Nigeria at OPEC. He had over 50 years of experience in the petroleum industry, with significant contributions to the country’s oil and gas policies.
20. Remilekun Marinho (1977 – 1980)
Remilekun Marinho, a key figure in the development of Nigeria’s oil policies, was the pioneer Group Managing Director of NNPC. He played an instrumental role in developing Nigeria’s oil industry from an initial production of 50,000 barrels per day to over 2.5 million barrels at the time of his retirement.
This leadership history showcases the crucial roles each of these individuals played in shaping Nigeria’s petroleum sector. With Engineer Ojulari’s appointment, the NNPCL aims to continue evolving under his leadership to meet the challenges and opportunities in the global energy market.
