GovTech Award: Kyari Gets Trailblazers Award For Exemplary Leadership In Digital Governance

…NNPC Limited Emerges Best Company In Digital Initiatives, Govt Processes Reengineering

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has emerged as the best federal government agency in digital initiatives in the reengineering of government processes.

The award was given by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), an agency under the Presidency.

It is for the best Nigeria GovTech in the category of the best federal ministry, department and agency of government in digital initiatives.

This is just as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, has also been nominated to receive the distinguished GovTech Trailblazer’s Award.

Kyari was nominated for the exemplary leadership that he has demonstrated in advancing GovTech initiatives and digital governance within the National Oil Company in line with the Federal Government digital transformation in the public sector.

The decision to confer the award on Kyari and the NNPC was conveyed in a letter dated 19th September 2023 signed by the Director-General of BPSR, Mr. Arabi Ibrahim Dasuki and addressed to the NNPC Boss.

The letter seen by THE WHISTLER reads in part, “Sequel to a nationwide nomination and online voting process initiated on Radio, Television and Newspaper publication, we are pleased to inform you that your organisation will be honoured with the prestigious Nigeria GovTech Award in the category of “Best Federal: MDA in digital initiatives in reengineering government processes.

“In addition to the above, you have also been nominated to receive the distinguished GovTech trailblazers award for the exemplary leadership you have demonstrated in advancing GovTech initiatives and digital governance within your organisation in line with the Federal Government digital transformation in the public sector.

“The Awards presentation dinner, will be part of the major highlights of the 2-day Nigeria Govtech Conference, scheduled for October 12th-13th, 2023, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.”

The achievements of the NNPC Boss in the oil and gas sector have been recognized both locally and internationally.

For instance, before now, Kyari has won the Leadership Newspapers Group Chief Executive Officer of the year award for 2021; the African Energy Chief Executive Officer of the year award; the 2020 Zik prize for public service leadership; the Sun Man of the year award; and the BusinessDay energy executive of the year award among others.

Kyari’s achievement has been described as unrivaled in the history of the National Oil Company.

He was responsible for the Open Government Initiative that ushered in an era of transparency and accountability in the NNPC’s operations.

He has also kept his promise to the NNPC Limited and Nigeria by increasing the nation’s oil reserves to 40 billion barrels, from 37 billion barrels.

The NNPC Boss has also assisted in resolving disputes around deep offshore bloc to further boost the nation’s oil production, and ensuring the successful flag-off of the construction of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project.

The project was described by former President Muhammadu Buhari as a game changer for the oil and gas industry.

The NNPC Group which became a CAMA Company in 2021 following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, grew its profit from N287bn in 2020 to N674bn in 2021 under Kyari’s leadership.

The N674bn profit posted by the NNPC Group in the 2021 financial period represents an increase of N387bn or 134.8 per cent when compared to the N287bn recorded in 2020.

The 2021 financial year made it the fourth consecutive years that the NNPC will be making its Audited Financial Statement public.

This was one of the innovations made by Kyari when he took over the helms of affairs of the National Oil Company.

Since he assumed office, Kyari has pursued his Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) agenda, a five-step strategic roadmap for NNPC’s attainment of efficiency and global excellence.

Kyari, during the inauguration, had said pursuing TAPE was the only way to turn around the corporation and make it competitive.

Under the roadmap, the Transparency component of the agenda was aimed at maintaining positive image, share values of integrity and transparency to all stakeholders, while the Accountability segment of the campaign is to assure compliance with business ethics, policies, regulations and accountability to all stakeholders.

In terms of the two-prong item of Performance Excellence, Kyari had said the idea was to entrench a high level of efficiency anchored on efficient implementation of business processes which would also emplace an appropriate reward system for exceptional performance among the workforce.