President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the incorporation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
In August, Group Managing Director of NNPC Mele Kyari, said the national oil firm would cease to exist within the next six months as specified by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Kyari explained that NNPC would be transformed into a private company and would be incorporated under the Company Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
The incorporation of NNPC Limited will run as a commercial entity while the federation will still own all shares.
On Sunday, September 19, Buhari approved the appointment of the Board and Management of the NNPC Limited with Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as Chairman.
Kyari was appointed Chief Executive Officer, while Umar I. Ajiya is the Chief Financial Officer.
Other Board Members are; Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Mrs Lami O. Ahmed (North Central), Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West), Senator Margaret Chuba Okadigbo (South East), Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South-South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).
Here are the profiles of some members of the board:
Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (Chairman)
Senator Ifeanyi Araraume was in the Senate for two terms between 1999 and 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He was born on December 16, 1958, and attended St. Eugene’s Primary School, Eziukwu Aba in present -day Abia State and St. Christopher Primary school, Umuluwe, Osuachara in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area, Imo State.
He bagged a first Degree in Business Administration from Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia, United States Of America. He also has a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Benin.
Mele Kyari
Mele Kyari is the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, a position to which he was appointed in July 2019.
Prior to his appointment by Buhari, Kyari served as Nigeria’s National Representative to OPEC and held a variety of management positions in the NNPC’s Crude Oil Marketing Division.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Earth Science from the University of Maiduguri and fulfilled his National Youth Service Corp requirement as a well site geologist with the Directorate of Foods, Roads, and Rural Infrastructure in Nigeria.
Umar I. Ajiya (Chief Financial Officer)
Umar Ajiya holds a B.Sc in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1987 and MBA from the Lagos State University, Nigeria in 1998.
Ajiya has over 30 -year of experience in the oil and gas sector.
He started his career with Elf Petroleum (now Total) and joined the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in 1991.
Ajiya contributed significantly in raising finance for the NLNG Trains as well as the marketing of LNG. He rose to occupy several positions including the Head of Treasury, Finance and Marketing & Business Development.
In 2012, he joined NNPC as the GM, Commercial in the LNG Division where he established LNG marketing JVs. Before his elevation to Chief Financial Officer of NNPC in 2019, he was the Head of Corporate Planning & Strategy of the NNPC Group.
He was also the MD of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) where he championed the transformation of PPMC from a loss making to a profitable company for the first time in its 28 years history.
He sits on the Board of several organizations including the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West)
Chief Pius Oluwole Akinyelure is former national vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress, south-west zone (2014-2018).
Akinyelure is a certified accountant and oil industry technocrat.
Following a 35-year career in both the Upstream and Downstream Sectors of ExxonMobil from where he retired as Executive Director, Finance & External Relations, he has continued to maintain interests across business, industry and politics.
He was first appointed a member of the NNPC Board in 2016 and reappointed to the Board in June 2020.
Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East)
Tajudeen Umar is the former chairman of the Joint Development Authority (JDA), an exclusive economic zone overlapping Nigeria’s maritime boundaries and law and Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone.
He is a Petroleum Geologist with over 30 -year experience in the oil and gas industry.
He has held several positions in the public and private sectors ranging from purely technical to management and executive.
His last position in the public sector was that of Executive Chairman, Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Authority. He also doubled as Executive Director, Monitoring and Inspections, of the same organization while serving as Chairman.
He was first appointed a member of the NNPC Board in 2016 and reappointed to the Board in June 2020.
Mrs Lami O. Ahmed (North Central)
Mrs. Lami Onayi Ahmed has over 30 years working experience covering the entire value chain of the oil & gas industry.
Her quest for educational pursuit and continuous personal development has seen her bag three masters’ degrees in Physiology, Business administration and Social work.
Mrs. Ahmed is a successful businesswoman and philanthropist who is involved in several charity endeavours and humanitarian services across the country.
She was first appointed to the Board of the NNPC in June, 2020.
Mallam Mohammed Lawal (North West)
Mallam Mohammed Lawal is an Engineering Procurement Specialist with over 35 years experience covering Design and Maintenance Engineering, Engineering Procurement (Supply Chain Management), Public Policy Administration and Politics.
Mallam Mohammed, who was reappointed to the NNPC Board in May, 2020 has been a board member of NNPC since 2016.
Senator Margaret Chuba Okadigbo (South East)
Lady Margaret Okadigbo is the wife of late former Senate President, Chuba Okadigbo.
In 2002, Chuba Okadigbo decamped to the All Nigeria Peoples Party to become Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in the 2003 Presidential elections but lost to the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ and his running mate, Atiku Abubakar.
In the April 2011 election, Margaret was entangled in a three-way battle with Alphonsus Igbeke and John Emeka over who of the trio should occupy the seat of Anambra North at the senate.
But the Supreme Court declared her winner in July 2012.
Barrister Constance Harry Marshal (South South)
Barrister Constance is a seasoned lawyer and comes from the Harry Marshall family.
Harry Marshal was President Buhari’s political ally from the South-South. He was murdered in his bedroom on March 6, 2003, in Abuja.
Before his assassination, he was a national leader of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party ANPP from Rivers state.
Barrister Constance Marshal was a former Coordinator in Rivers State for the Project 4+4 Rivers State Chapter.
(the Nation)
