Buhari Appoints Mele Kyari As NNPC GMD

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mele Kyari to head the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). This is the second appointment the president will be making since his inauguration in May.

Kyari, who is the current group general manager, crude marketing division, will assume office as NNPC GMD on July 7. He will replace Maikanti Baru, the current GMD who was appointed in July 2016 and now retiring.

At present, Kyari is Nigeria’s representative to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Kyari, who is a trained geologist, leads Nigeria’s team to the OPEC economic commission board which takes place before the bi-annual meetings of the OPEC ministerial conference.

Although he shares a surname with Abba Kyari, he is not related to the president’s chief of staff. The new NNPC GMD is of the Kanuri tribe while Abba Kyari is of the Shuwa tribe. Alongside Kyari, Buhari also appointed seven new chief operating officers for the national oil company.

They are:

Roland Onoriode Ewubare (south-south) – chief operating officer, upstream;
Mustapha Yinusa Yakubu (north-central) – chief operating officer, refining and petrochemicals;

Yusuf Usman (north-east) – chief operating officer, gas and power;
Lawrencia Nwadiabuwa Ndupu (south-east) – chief operating officer, ventures;
Umar Isa Ajiya (north-west) – chief financial officer;

Adeyemi Adetunji (south-west) – chief operating officer, downstream; and
Farouk Garba Said (north-west) – chief operating officer, corporate services (with effect from June 28, 2019)

Kyari would be the 19^th Group Managing Director of the National Oil Company.