By Adewole Kehinde
“Leadership is service, not position.” – Tim Fargo
Around 3 am on Wednesday, I saw the tweet from the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, titled “PRESIDENT TINUBU RECONSTITUTES NNPC LIMITED BOARD, APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN, GROUP CEO.”
After about six years of meritorious service as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari has bowed out of the state-owned oil firm following President Bola Tinubu’s reconstitution of the company’s board.
Some mischievous individuals and failed political groups went to town to say Mele Kyari was sacked.
Mele Kyari was not sacked; he retired. I remember that he attained the retirement age of 60 years on 8th Jan 2025, and it took President Tinubu three months to replace him.
What that means is that his performance was well appreciated by President Tinubu.
Mele Kyari’s career as the last Group Managing Director of the defunct NNPC and the pioneer Group Chief Executive Officer of the newly incorporated Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited was nothing short of excellent and exceptional.
As the natural course of life, he exited the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Wednesday, 2nd April 2025, and leaves behind a more robust and structured NNPC than he met.
Mele Kyari will be remembered for:
– Implement and expedite Nigeria’s critical pipeline networks: the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline and the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben Gas Pipeline Projects, which are at various stages of completion.
– Revive the nation’s moribund refineries after about 3 decades to once again make Nigeria a refining nation.
– Facilitate the commencement of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Train 7 project aimed at improving Nigeria’s gas utilisation and consumption.
– Led the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the entire oil industry in transitioning from the old regime to the new regime under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, marking the most significant shake-up in the industry in nearly three decades.
– Helped Nigeria navigate through financial crises on so many occasions through institutional bailouts and forex injections.
– Over the past six years, many factors have shaped Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited into the organisation it is today, significantly contributing to Nigeria’s economic development and prosperity while elevating the oil sector to unprecedented heights.
Mele Kyari has done his part for the country just like the country has honoured him with the opportunity. And as he exits the service on Wednesday.
I pray to Allah to make his life after service his best life on earth.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters. 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com @kennyadewole
