The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd has made major leadership changes, naming Maryam Idrisu as the new managing director of NNPC Trading. Obioma Abangwu was also appointed as the chief liaison officer for Board Matters.
According to a report by BusinessDay, the shake-up comes as over 200 staff were asked to leave the company, many of them close allies of former Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari. Among those affected are Bala Wunti, former head of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), and Ibrahim Onoja, managing director of the Kaduna Refinery.
Lawal Sade, who previously held the position of Chief Compliance Officer and managing director of NNPC Trading, was also relieved of his duties. Sources within the company explained that the action was largely based on proximity to retirement.
“Many of those affected had about 17 months or below to retire, so they were given incentives to retire early to allow fresh people into the system,” a company source stated. While the move has been described as routine, it marks one of the most sweeping restructurings in recent years.
Maryam Idrisu brings with her deep experience, having served as Executive Director of Planning and Commercial at NNPC Trading. Her earlier roles include stints as Executive Director of Crude and Condensate and various managerial roles in pricing and valuation within the Crude Oil Marketing Division.
She studied Economics at the University of Abuja and earned a master’s degree in Energy Economics from the University of Dundee. Obioma Abangwu, the newly appointed liaison officer, previously headed Corporate Law and Board Matters for the company and is known to be an avid golf enthusiast.
The restructuring is seen as a move to refresh NNPC’s workforce with younger professionals while moving away from ties to past leadership. While some promoted individuals are said to have worked under Kyari, the changes are viewed as part of broader operational adjustments.
Article updated 4 days ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
