By Emmanuella Anokam
The People’s Wellbeing Association (PWA), a human rights and advocacy group has lauded Mr Bayo Ojulari, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) for his landmark reforms.
The group’s, Head of Communication unit, Mr Abba Abubakar, gave the commendation in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Abubakar, who cited unprecedented reforms and operational achievements since Ojulari’s appointment in April 2025, said the NNPC Ltd. boss had put the company on the path of greatness.
He said that despite facing opposition from “greedy oil thieves”, Ojulari had remained steadfast in his commitment to transparency and commercial discipline.
According to him, under Ojulari’s leadership, NNPC Ltd. has recorded transformative milestones across its upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.
He said that the company’s upstream subsidiary under Ojulari had achieved a daily crude oil production level of 355,000 barrels, the highest in 36 years, surpassing levels last recorded in 1989 .
He said that this achievement had significantly strengthened national output performance and enhanced foreign exchange earnings.
Abubakar said that the company had also reinstated monthly operational and financial performance reports, a transparency move rarely seen in its history.
He also commended Ojulari for the introduction of modern Delegation of Authority (DoA) and Delegation of Financial Authority (DoFA) frameworks which have improved decision-making efficiency, accountability, and internal governance standards.
He said that governance reforms were further strengthened through the creation of Chief Compliance and Chief Sustainability offices.
“In a candid admission at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, Ojulari disclosed that intense political pressure had previously kept state-owned refineries running despite monumental losses,” he said.
He said that the company was now overhauling its refinery rehabilitation strategy, moving away from contractor-led models toward partnerships with established global refinery operators.
“We are not looking for contractors anymore. We want companies that run refineries successfully. They will co-own the assets, lead operations, and help us build the competence to manage them sustainably.
“The strategy aims to attract partners who will acquire equity stakes, ensuring they have “skin in the game” and a direct financial incentive to deliver efficiency, reliability, and profitability,” Abubakar quoted Ojulari as saying.
According to Abubakar, beyond endorsing Ojulari’s leadership, the People’s Wellbeing Association also raised concerns about pipeline surveillance contracts.
He affirmed the commitment of the group in urging President Bola Tinubu not to renew existing arrangements without carrying other stakeholders along.
Abubakar expressed the group’s demand for fairness and pipeline surveillance, saying that contracts be equitably split among Niger Delta stakeholders.
He further suggested that the Nigerian Army and Navy should take over pipeline surveillance contracts, arguing that security agencies are better positioned to handle such critical national infrastructure.
He said that equitable distribution of pipeline surveillance contracts among Niger Delta stakeholders would foster peace, enhance security, and ensure that host communities derive maximum benefits from oil and gas operations.
The PWA communication unit Head said that Industry experts had observed that reforms under Ojulari have repositioned NNPC Ltd. from a closed public institution into a commercially accountable national energy company.
Abubakar said that the Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency in the Extractive Industry (CCSTEI) recently commended Ojulari for restoring confidence in NNPC Ltd. after many challenging years.
“He has proven that visionary leadership, coupled with accountability and performance excellence, could redefine an institution for the better,” he said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
ELLA/KAE
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Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
