Restructuring by the new management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has resulted to the dismissal of the managing directors of the three refineries under its purview, the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
In addition to the refineries’ managing directors, several senior officials of the national oil company, including Bala Wunti, the former chief of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), a subsidiary of NNPCL, were also asked to step down.
The restructuring comes as part of efforts by the new management team to implement significant changes and streamline operations within the company.
According to reports from the Punch, sources familiar with the developments confirmed the dismissals, although NNPCL’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.
The new management also instructed several officials nearing their retirement age, with one year or less to go before their expected retirement dates, to leave the company.
These moves signal a broader restructuring of the company as it seeks to enhance its operations and performance in the years to come.
Remember that on April 2, 2025, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, alongside other board members were dismissed as part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader overhaul of the national oil company, which aimed to boost Nigeria’s crude and gas output.
While speculations were that Kyari was removed as a result of him not meeting targets, others saw the termination of his appointment as a move to optimize energy production in the country.
The effect of the new shake up in the organisation remains to be seen.
