‘Mele Kyari Is A Man Of Action’ — Tinubu Celebrates NNPCL GCEO On His Birthday

President Bola Tinubu has showered encomiums on Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as he turns a year older on January 8th.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the president extolled Kyari’s diligence, passion, and expertise, describing him as a “man of action” who delivers results.

“Mele is a man of action, rather than words,” Tinubu declared. “He is proactive in his approach. His ability to diagnose complicated problems with thoughtful and pragmatic solutions has created a path for him to continue rendering valuable service to our nation. I wish him a happy birthday.”

Beyond wishing Kyari a happy birthday, Tinubu noted the NNPCL GCEO’s track record as one of the longest-tenured chief executives in the company’s history despite the challenges that come with leading Africa’s most valuable energy company.

The president prayed for Kyari, appealing to Almighty Allah to grant him increased wisdom and strength as he continues serving the nation. 

Many saw Tinubu’s renewal of Kyari’s appointment as NNPCL GCEO as a show of confidence in his capacity to deliver the performance-driven and results-oriented mandate of his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda.’ 

Some of Kyari’s key achievements as NNPC Limited GCEO include:

• Transforming NNPC from a loss-making company to a profitable one, with the company declaring its first ever Profit After Tax of N287bn in 2020. This rose to N674bn in 2021, and is expected to hit N2trn in 2022.
• Boosting crude oil production to cross 1.7 million barrels per day in September 2022, regaining Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest producer ahead of Algeria and Angola. This was achieved through efforts to curb crude oil theft and illegal refining. 
• Launching the Kolmani Integrated Development Project to commence commercial oil production from the North. The project has capacity to produce 2 billion cubic feet of gas daily.
• Leading the enactment of the PIA in 2021, unbundling NNPC and giving birth to the commercially oriented NNPC Limited. This opened opportunities for reforms and investments.
• Acquiring downstream assets like OVH Energy and Oando fuel stations to make NNPC a major player. The OVH deal added 240,000MT of capacity and LPG, lube and aviation facilities.
• Sealing the acquisition of 20% shares in Dangote Refinery in 2021 to secure energy supply. This is in line with expansion into the downstream sector.
• Reducing the cost of AKK gas pipeline contract by $300 million through contract renegotiation, from $2.8 billion to $2.5 billion.
• Securing $3 billion emergency loan from Afreximbank in 2022 to defend the Naira and stabilize forex market. The funds will be repaid from future oil production.
• Attracting $7 billion fresh investment from India in 2022 for Nigeria’s petrochemical industry, creating jobs and revenues.