Group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mele Kyari says President Muhammadu Buhari is the only president in Nigeria’s history who is yet to interfere with the operations of the corporation.
Mr Kyari stated this on Monday in Sokoto while delivering the Usmanu Danfodiyo University’s 2021 first quarter public lecture series titled, ‘Navigating energy transition and the imperatives of university-industry collaboration’.
He said the current crop of NNPC management was privileged to have a president who never interfered in what the NNPC does as a corporation.
“That is very unprecedented, and it has gone a long way to help us deliver on our mandate, especially the drive towards domestic gas utilisation,” Kyari stated.
He also tasked governments and institutions in Africa to adopt technology and innovation to achieve energy sufficiency and its economic multiplier effect on the people.
Kyari revealed that the NNPC as Africa’s biggest national oil company which is already building on the convergence of new technologies and innovative business models, was set to play an important role in the future of energy.
He added that in line with this drive, NNPC has established a renewable energy division and completely transformed the NNPC research and development (R&D) division to NNPC Research, Technology and Innovation Centre as part of its key initiatives to transit to an energy company of global excellence.
Also speaking at the occasion, chief host and governor of Sokoto State Aminu Tambuwal said the NNPC under Kyari was being repositioned to align with the realities of the future, especially as the oil industry awaits the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly.
