NNPCL Sacks Refinery Managing Directors In Major Restructuring.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has removed the managing directors of its three major refineries, Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, as part of a broad restructuring initiative. Several senior executives, including Bala Wunti, former Chief of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), were also affected.
The move is aimed at revamping operations and improving efficiency within the company. Although NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye did not provide an official comment, sources confirmed the changes.
The restructuring includes the early retirement of officials with less than a year remaining in service. This development follows the April 2, 2025, dismissal of former Group CEO Mele Kyari and several board members, part of President Bola Tinubu’s wider shake-up aimed at revitalizing the oil and gas sector.
Insiders revealed that the overhaul was driven by concerns over poor performance, particularly the failure to meet critical production targets. The president expects the new leadership to meet key targets, including increasing daily crude production to 2 million barrels by 2027 and 3 million by 2030, as well as achieving 10 billion cubic meters in gas production.
Maryam Idrisu has been appointed Managing Director of NNPC Trading, the subsidiary in charge of crude oil transactions. The ongoing reforms mark a major shift in the company’s leadership, driven by technocrats rather than political appointees, as the Tinubu administration pushes to reposition NNPCL for stronger output and accountability.
