The Energy Reforms Advocates (ERA) have praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decision to remove Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
In a statement on Wednesday, Abdulkadri Isah, president of ERA, described the move as a courageous step toward reforming Nigeria’s oil sector and tackling entrenched corruption.
He said Kyari’s removal would allow a full investigation into alleged fraudulent refinery projects under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“The dismissal of Mele Kyari signals a new dawn in our nation’s commitment to eradicating corruption in the oil and gas sector. We commend President Tinubu for demonstrating the political will to confront these challenges head-on,” Isah said.
He urged the newly appointed leadership of the NNPC to prioritise an audit of past projects and ensure accountability in the sector.
“The probe into fake refinery projects must be swift and thorough. Nigerians deserve to know how billions of dollars were allocated to non-existent or uncompleted projects while the country continued to rely on fuel imports,” he stated.
ERA called on relevant anti-corruption agencies to support the process, warning that failure to expose past mismanagement would hinder any meaningful reform.
“This investigation should not end with a change in leadership. There must be consequences for those who mismanaged funds and deceived Nigerians. The government must set a precedent that corruption will no longer be tolerated,” Isah added.
The group also expressed optimism that under fresh leadership, the NNPC could regain public trust and reposition itself as a driver of economic growth.
“With competent leadership, the NNPC can finally fulfill its mandate. We expect reforms that will boost local refining capacity, attract investment, and ultimately reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products,” the statement read.
Kyari’s removal was part of a broader shake-up of NNPC’s board, with former Shell executive Bashir Bayo Ojulari appointed as the new GCEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.
The restructuring aligns with the government’s vision of revitalising the oil sector and increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production and refining capacity.