Buhari drops Ararume, Appoints Ex-Senate President’s Widow As NNPC Board Chair

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed the board and management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

This is in accordance with the power vested in him under Section 59(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act he signed on August 16, 2021, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the[FA1] board’s Chairman is Margret Okadigbo (South East); Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari; and Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya.

Other board members are Dr Tajudeen Umar (North East), Lami Ahmed (North Central), Mohammed Lawal (North West), Henry Obih (South East), Constance Marshal (South-South), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).

The statement said executive commissioners were also appointed for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

They include the Executive Commissioner, Development and Production, Dr Nuhu Habib (Kano); Executive Commissioner, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Dr Kelechi Ofoegbu (Imo); Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Capt. Tonlagha John (Delta); and Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services and Administration, Jide Adeola (Kogi).

Earlier appointed are the board chairman; the CEO; executive commissioner, exploration and acreage management, and executive commissioner, finance and accounts.

New appointees at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority are the Executive Director, Hydrocarbon Processing, Francis Ogaree (Rivers); Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Mustapha Lamorde (Adamawa); Executive Director, Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund; Mansur Kuliya (Kano); Executive Director, Corporate Services and Administration, Bashir Sadiq (Sokoto); and Executive Director, Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, Dr Zainab Gobir (Kwara).

They join the board chairman; executive director, downstream systems, storage and retailing infrastructure; the CEO; and executive director, finance and accounts, who had earlier been appointed.

For Midstream and Downstream Infrastructure Fund, new council members arw Effiong Abia (Akwa Ibom), Bobboi Ahmed (Adamawa), and Abdullahi Bukar (Katsina).