A few days into April 2025, the Presidency announced the appointment of a new leadership team for Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL). The most prominent among them were the appointments of Bayo Ojulari as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) and Roland Ewubare as the Group Chief Operations Officer (GCOO). This marks a major step in the right direction for the company.
As the highest-ranking executives at NNPCL, the duo will play a crucial role in shaping the company’s strategic direction, driving growth, and ensuring the effective management of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources. Their leadership will be instrumental in navigating the complexities of the global energy landscape, optimizing operations, and delivering value to stakeholders.
A deeper look at the career journeys of Ojulari and Ewubare reveals the thoughtfulness behind their appointment as the power couple at NNPCL.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), formerly known as NNPC, was established in 1977 through the merger of the Nigerian National Oil Corporation (NNOC) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy Resources. In 2022, it transitioned into a limited liability company without altering its mandate, following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). NNPCL was set up to create sustainable economic and social value through efficient oil and gas exploration, production, and management, while ensuring environmental responsibility and energy security for Nigeria.
In a bid to fulfill its mission, NNPCL has faced numerous challenges—ranging from operational to financial and institutional issues. The corporation has long been plagued by unclear decision-making, lack of accountability, and inefficiency, leading to mismanagement and public distrust.
However, several signs point to the growth potential of NNPCL, giving it continued relevance in driving Nigeria’s economy. The corporation can leverage its opportunities to raise capital, improve efficiency and innovation, and contribute to the diversification and growth of the Nigerian economy while fostering global competitiveness.
These goldmines of opportunity are now available to be exploited by NNPCL’s prolific duo: Bayo Ojulari and Roland Ewubare.
Bayo Bashir Ojulari is an engineer with over 30 years of deep expertise in petroleum, process, and production engineering. His career began at Elf Petroleum in 1989, where he served as a field and process engineer before moving to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo). At SNEPCo, he started as an associate production technologist and rose through the ranks to become Managing Director and General Manager, Deepwater, in November 2015. During this time, he oversaw the development of Nigeria’s first deepwater project, the Bonga field, increasing production to 320,000 barrels per day while implementing a cost-saving strategy that reduced operational expenses by 30 percent.
After retiring in 2021, Engr. Ojulari undertook several leadership roles, each marked by milestone achievements. Notably, as the founding chairman of BAT Advisory & Energy, his experience and expertise have thoroughly prepared him to lead NNPCL as GCEO.
Roland Onoriode Ewubare, on the other hand, brings a rich blend of legal knowledge and operational experience in the energy field. A lawyer with a strong technical and strategic background, he has delivered lectures as a visiting lecturer at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland, USA. His early career began at Schlumberger (Nigeria and New York), before he moved on to NNPC, where he rose to the position of Group General Manager.
During his tenure, he led the team that repositioned the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), which was operating under a deficit of over N1.6 trillion at the time he assumed leadership. Through strategic reorganization, Mr. Ewubare and his team recorded a surplus of N1.8 trillion for the Federation Account in 2018, followed by N2.6 trillion in 2019.
Roland’s versatility and experience highlight his strength as a strategist capable of driving smooth operations within NNPCL while injecting innovative ideas to foster progress.
Together, Bayo Ojulari and Roland Ewubare are expected to bring their innovative minds together to fast-track NNPCL in the right direction, tackling long-standing challenges with renewed vigor. While it is impossible to predict the full extent of growth to be achieved under their leadership, the combination of Ojulari’s exceptional administrative capabilities and Ewubare’s strategic operations expertise, along with the wide array of opportunities available to the corporation, holds tremendous promise. Indeed, time will tell.
