Bashir Ojulari, an indigene of Kwara State, has been appointed as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) and Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). A seasoned engineer with vast experience in petroleum, process, and production engineering, Ojulari’s appointment marks a new chapter for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Before this appointment, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. His firm recently led a consortium of indigenous energy companies in acquiring the entire equity holding in Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, a landmark $2.4 billion deal.
Ojulari is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He began his career as the first Nigerian process engineer at Elf Aquitaine before joining Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991 as an associate production technologist.
A respected figure in the industry, he is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigeria Council) from 1998 to 1999. Throughout his career, he has held managerial roles in Europe and the Middle East, specializing in petroleum engineering, process engineering, production engineering, and health and safety.
In November 2015, Ojulari was appointed Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and General Manager, Deepwater. He also served on the board of Shell Petroleum Development Company, overseeing onshore and offshore petroleum engineering, technical integration of development, well engineering, and project engineering.
With extensive international experience, Ojulari has worked in strategic roles across Europe and the Middle East, serving as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager. His expertise and leadership are expected to drive NNPC Ltd towards greater efficiency, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
As he takes the helm at NNPC Ltd, industry stakeholders anticipate that his leadership will play a key role in strengthening Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, advancing energy transition efforts, and positioning the company for long-term growth.