By The Editor
Despite being Nigeria’s highest oil-producing state, Akwa Ibom is yet to have an indigene appointed as the Managing Director or Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), a report has revealed.
Since its establishment in 1977, NNPCL (formerly NNPC) has been led by a series of Group Managing Directors (GMDs) and, later, Group Chief Executive Officers (GCEOs), drawn from various states across Nigeria. However, no individual from Akwa Ibom has ever occupied the top position in the national oil company.
Currently, Akwa Ibom State contributes an estimated 504,000 barrels per day (bpd) to Nigeria’s crude oil output, making it the country’s largest oil-producing state. Despite this significant contribution to the nation’s economy, the state has not been represented at the highest leadership level of NNPCL.
The recent appointment of Ms. Eunice Thomas as a Non-Executive Director in the NNPCL Board by President Bola Tinubu on December 1, 2023, marked a step towards inclusion. However, calls for greater representation persist, with stakeholders advocating for an Akwa Ibom indigene to be considered for the top leadership role.
A historical review of past NNPCL leaders shows a wide representation across various states, including Ogun, Rivers, Edo, Ondo, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, and Kwara, among others. However, Akwa Ibom remains absent from this list.
With the latest appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari from Kwara State as the current NNPCL boss, industry observers and stakeholders in Akwa Ibom are renewing calls for fairer representation, emphasizing that the state’s oil wealth should be reflected in leadership appointments at the national level.
