The Management and staff of NNPC Ltd have welcomed the appointment of a new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, and Board of Directors for the Company by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
NNPC, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, extended its profound appreciation to the outgoing GCEO, Mr. Mele Kyari, and the former Board Members for their selfless and dedicated service to the Company and to the nation.
The statement said “Mr. Kyari’s leadership and tireless efforts have left an indelible mark on NNPC Ltd., and we are sincerely grateful for his outstanding contributions.
“We wish him and all departing Board Members continued success and fulfilment in their future endeavours.”
Kyari was appointed by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the 19th GMD of the NNPC, after the retirement of Maikanti Baru from the corporation on July 7, 2019.
Prior to his appointment as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, Kyari was the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the NNPC and the Nigerian Representative at the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 2018.
In 1991, he joined NNPC as a processing geophysicist with Integrated Data Services Limited. In 1991, he started his career with the Department of Geological Survey of Nigeria as a field geologist.
He worked as an exploration geophysicist with the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) in 1998. In 2007, Kyari headed the Production Sharing Contracts Management in the Crude Oil Marketing Division (COMD).
In 2014, he became the General Manager, Crude Oil Stock Management, while in 2015, he was promoted to the post of Group General Manager, COMD.
He is the focal person for the Open Government Initiative, the initiative that helps the government to track the buyer and seller of crude oil. On 13 May 2018, he became the Nigerian national representative at OPEC.
In October 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari conferred a national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) on him.
He was also named the outstanding employer of the year 2024 by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in April 2023, among numerous awards.
Kyari has been applauded by oil and gas stakeholders within and outside the country for returning the national oil company to profitability and also reviving the nation’s refineries.
