By Adegbenga Kelvin
“It’s better to light a candle than to cause the darkness.” – William Lonsdale Watkinson
Nobody likes being criticized. But how you handle it makes all the difference.
But if you can learn to take it in stride with some genuine reflection on how you can use it as a basis for improvement, you can come to realize that criticism can actually be a gift.
Despite all the criticism from the North, South, East, and West, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited has remained focused. He has used the criticism as a basis for improvement.
Since Mele Kyari assumed office as Group Managing Director on July 7, 2019, his attention has shifted to solutions to the many challenges ranging from grievous oil pipeline vandalism, corruption, incessant oil thefts, low production levels, and a lack of transparency.
With a vision boldly anchored on the principle of Transparency, Accountability, performance, and Excellence (TAPE), Kyari, under the defunct NNPC, demonstrated a fundamental grasp of what fossil energy means and the imperative of effective governance of the giant national oil company.
In June 2020, for the first time in 44 years, the Kyari-led NNPC management released the 2018 Audited Financial Statements, and subsequently 2021, to the public for scrutiny, earning plaudits for the corporation from members of the public.
In August 2021, the NNPC declared an N287billion Profit After Tax (PAT) for 2020 for the first time in 44 years.
Kyari’s magic wand played out as the corporation reduced its losses from N803 billion in 2018 to N1.7 billion in 2019, with the eventual declaration of a net profit in 2020. By fiscal 2021, the corporation’s profit had grown to N674 billion.
Until this period, NNPC has been a loss-making entity, renowned for anomalies, undue political interference, and shades of burden.
Despite the numerous challenges, Kyari grew its production to an enviable level. As of February 2023, the NNPC had crossed 1.6 million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate combined.
The achievements of Kyari under the now-rested NNPC were numerous, which have been described in my Boss’s previous article: https://swiftreporters.com/mele-kyari-the-golden-goose-of-nnpcl/
The passage of the PIA gave birth to the new, refreshed, and rejuvenated Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
The birth of the NNPCL in 2021 wound up the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, after 46 years of operation.
The PIA empowered NNPCL to operate like every private company in Nigeria, with exemptions from the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Public Procurement Act, and TSA, in order to ensure there are no excuses for failure.
Following this milestone, Kyari, who is now the GCEO of NNPC Limited, initiated new investment benchmarks to further rejuvenate the once-ineffective company.
At the launch of the new NNPC Limited, Mallam Kyari explained the ins and outs of the new oil company, stressing that every Nigerian is a shareholder of the company.
According to him, “We will pay taxes; we will pay royalties like anyone; we will also pay dividends to our shareholders, which many of you are. So, we are in business, and business means competition. We are a private sector; forget about the fact that we are owned by the government 100 percent.
“By the way, as you are also aware, we are going to do an initial public offering (IPO) very soon, and we’ll sell a part of our equity. It’s in the law, and once that happens, we will not be any different for any of you, and it will be a very different business environment.”
Most recently, Kyari has continued to unclog the pores of the company by combating illegal refineries. His efforts at combating crude oil theft and illegal refineries were positive, leading to a significant spike in daily oil production, reaching 1.6 million barrels per day.
In the last few weeks, the historic payment of the interim dividend by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited into the Federation Account less than three months into the stoppage of payment for fuel subsidy by the Federal Government has proven that Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, is indeed working for the good of Nigerians and the sustainability of the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
In addition to several other breakthroughs, the NNPCL announced it had busted 240 illegal refineries and committed pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region. A few weeks ago, a private security contractor engaged by the national oil company also intercepted a vessel conveying 800,000 liters of stolen crude oil at an offshore location. The vessel was heading to Cameroon. It was later destroyed.
This is, however, a testament to Kyari’s resolution to completely eradicate the business of oil thieves in the country.
All of these recent achievements and breakthroughs have stemmed from the leadership of a resilient man who is leaving no stone unturned in transforming Nigeria’s oil and gas sector via transparency and accountability-driven policies.
Mele Kyari is truly a courageous, visionary, and loyal man who possesses sterling leadership qualities to lead a united and cohesive sector that works for the progress of the country.
There is no doubt that appointing Kyari to head the NNPC Limited is one of the best decisions taken, and I am sure President Bola Tinubu will agree with me as someone who has worked for several years in the oil and gas industry.
In the words of Frank A. Clark, “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.”
Above all bad criticism, I will say that Mele Kayri keeps unveiling programmes and policies that have enhanced transparency and efficiency in the operations of the company.
These include the setting up of a new trading subsidiary, the establishment of a new crude oil marketing division, and the implementation of a new performance management system, which enhances accountability in the Nigerian oil and gas sector by publishing monthly financial and operational reports.
Kelvin Adegbenga is the National Publicity Secretary of the Integrity Youth Alliance and can be reached via kelvinadegbenga@yahoo.com
