By Bamidele Atoyebi

Nigeria has long suffered from a structural problem in its oil sector owing to death of leadership driven by politics or technocratic governance disconnected from the realities of oil production. The result was wasted resources, underutilised assets, periodic reforms that fizzled out, and repeated failed promises devoid of accountability.

When Tinubu weeded out the old board, including long-serving managers, many feared the decision was based on political loyalty, not capacity. But overtime, Tinubu has always chosen expertise over political loyalty and his foresightedness has always payed off just like it’s evident now especially as he has a hands-on experience in the sector where many didn't know he was a big player.

Entered Bayo Ojulari as Group CEO of NNPC through Tinubu on April 2nd alongside an entirely reconstituted board of directors. This is not another case of political patronage or a technocrat parachuted into office to manage optics.

Ojulari is a seasoned energy engineer, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria whose decades of first hand experience in oil & gas, including leadership roles at international oil companies and indigenous energy companies, gave him the practical insight needed to run a complex, production-heavy institution like NNPC.  

Let’s not forget that Ojulari has also worked in the sector for so many years. He started out as a corps member and served under Engineer Yusuf Usman who was also appointed by the president to serve as a board member representing North East. Engineer Yusuf was Ojulari’s mentor while he was a corps member, now Ojulari is the MD. Majority of those picked were ex-NNPC staff who also studied engineering from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

The 355,000 bpd milestone achieved on December 1st is not just about drilling more wells; it reflects a broader internal transformation. It is formally the highest daily production for NEPL since 1989 meaning that for 36 years, NEPL had never hit that milestone on a single day.

Under Ojulari’s watch, the company shifted away from episodic, short-term fixes to a sustained, strategic approach, one where assets are managed responsibly, processes streamlined, and underperforming areas optimised.

This same Ojulari was almost impeached after some critics called for it citing allegations of mismanagement or financial misconduct. But in many cases, these calls appear jaundiced and politically motivated based of the shake-up of the NNPC board.

Imagine what could have befallen the system now if the president had listened to the nay sayers cry of wolf by those who were shedding crocodile tears at the time it was reshuffled. 

Indeed, rather than bemoaning alleged past injustices or mounting pressure on the new team, the focus should be on actual performance and so far, the results speak for themselves.

By contrast, Tinubu’s decision to appoint industry-seasoned engineers with decades of field and managerial experience represents this paradigm shift.

Nigeria doesn’t need another cycle of over-hyped leadership changes, empty promises or politically convenient firings. What we have under Bayo Ojulari and the new board of NNPC is something rare that we should cherish. 

If only other subsidiaries of government can follow these steps, choose expertise over favouritism and capacity over political games, there would be more working systems and structures in our dear country. And prebendalism will die a timely death.

Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convenor of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting.