By Peter Omopo
28th August 2025 | Abuja
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has distanced himself from partisan politics, declaring that his focus remains on reforms in the oil and gas sector.
Ojulari made the remark on Thursday while receiving a delegation of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), led by its president, Festus Osifo, at the NNPCL headquarters in Abuja.
“I’m not hiding from anybody. I’m not a politician. I will have to learn a bit more about politics, but for me, it is a development plan, and I’m ready to learn,” he said.
The NNPCL boss disclosed that the company was intensifying efforts to revive Nigeria’s moribund refineries to operate at full capacity, hinting at the possibility of adopting the NLNG model for efficient management.
Ojulari, however, raised alarm over threats to his life and those of members of the company’s management, which he linked to reforms introduced in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to rehabilitate the country’s ailing refineries.
According to him, some “powerful interests” opposed to the reforms were plotting to undermine his leadership. Despite the pressure, Ojulari vowed to remain focused on ensuring the refinery rehabilitation programme succeeds.
