In Top Management Shakeup, NNPC Removes, Replaces Three Executive Vice Presidents

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) yesterday announced the removal and replacement of three of the company’s Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs), formerly known as executive directors before the advent of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Those impacted by the development included: Abdulkabir Ahmed, who was hitherto in charge of gas, power and new energies; Adokiye Tombomieye, who headed the upstream segment as well as Adeyemi Adetunji, who was in charge of the downstream.

In their place, the national oil company now has Olalekan Ogunleye as EVP gas, power and new energies; Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan would oversee the company’s upstream operations, while Adedapo Segun would take charge of the downstream.

The management shake-up was confirmed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the NNPC, Mr. Garba Muhammad, in a press statement.
“In line with NNPC Ltd.’s commitment and drive for organisational renewal, anchored on our business imperatives, standards of excellence, people development, and strengthening our competencies and capabilities through broad-based leadership exposures, the company wishes to announce the following executive appointments with immediate effect.

“Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Executive Vice President, Upstream, Olalekan Ogunleye, Executive Vice President, Gas, Power, and New Energy and Adedapo A. Segun, Executive Vice President, Downstream,” Muhammad stated in the brief statement.

The erstwhile Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer of the NNPC, Eyesan, who would now superintendent over the upstream, possesses over 30 years’ experience in the sector.

Her profile also indicates that she midwifed the first-ever non-associated gas commercialisation in Nigeria and delivered the renewal of Nigeria’s Deepwater Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) in record time, paving the way for over $10 billion in eco-friendly investments.

The graduate of Economics from the University of Benin was also said to have played a good part in the NNPC’s acquisition of equity in Dangote, and other private refineries in the country.

On the other hand, Ogunleye, the new gas and power man, was the Deputy Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited and was said to have almost three decades of career life.

He has held several key management positions in his parent company- the NNPC, especially in the gas sector, which equipped him with significant industry experience in various aspects of the gas value chain.

Before he joined NLNG in April 2022, he was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gas Aggregation Company Nigeria Limited (GACN), established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate adequate gas supply to the domestic market and ensure the effective implementation of the Nigerian Gas Master Plan.

He was also the MD/CEO of N-Gas Limited, a joint venture company between NNPC, Chevron, and Shell with the responsibility for the sale and marketing of gas in Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana. He holds a degree in Law from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Not much is available in the public space on Segun, who would now handle the often chaotic downstream sector, but it was gathered that he was Group General Manager, Treasury as well as Chief Finance & Investor Relations Officer at the NNPC in the past.

The three EVPs that were removed, THISDAY learnt, would have been due for retirement in 2024.