National Telescope national telescope newspaper
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), replacing Mele Kyari.
But who is Bayo Ojulari, and what does he bring to the table?
Ojulari hails from Kwara State in North Central Nigeria.
He studied mechanical engineering at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he laid the foundation for his long and impressive career in the oil and gas industry.
Before his appointment, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, the firm that recently acquired Shell Nigeria Limited.
Renaissance led a consortium of Nigerian energy companies in a historic $2.4 billion deal to buy Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
Ojulari started his career as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine. In 1991, he moved to Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria as an associate production technologist.
Over the years, he gained experience working in Nigeria, Europe, and the Middle East, handling roles in petroleum processing, production engineering, strategic planning, field development, and asset management.
In 2015, he became the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), a position that further solidified his reputation as a key player in Nigeria’s oil sector.
He has also contributed to the industry as Chairman and Trustee of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and as a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
Ojulari takes over from Mele Kyari, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and turned 60 on January 8, 2025.
He will work alongside the newly appointed NNPC board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, who replaces Pius Akinyelure.
With his vast experience and leadership in the oil and gas sector, all eyes will be on Ojulari to see how he steers the NNPC in this new chapter of its journey.
