***Lauds Reforms on Transparency, Improved Crude Production

The Coalition of Civil Society for Transparency in the Extractive Industry (CCSTEI) has highly commended the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, for his transformative leadership in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja. the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr. Agabi Emanuel praised Ojulari’s bold reforms that have enhanced transparency, boosted operational efficiency, and driven significant improvements in crude oil production.

The CCSTEI highlighted that since Ojulari’s appointment in April 2025, NNPC Ltd has shifted from longstanding perceptions of opacity and inefficiency to a more commercially driven and accountable entity.

Key achievements noted include the consistent publication of monthly performance reports, which have fostered real-time stakeholder oversight.
Financially, the coalition applauded the company’s 2024 audited results, which showed a record revenue of ₦45.1 trillion and a profit after tax of ₦5.4 trillion – marking a 64% year-on-year growth in profit.

On the production front, the group celebrated the milestone reached by NNPC Exploration and Production Limited (NEPL), the company’s upstream subsidiary, which hit a daily crude oil output of 355,000 barrels on December 1, 2025 – the highest in 36 years.

This contributed to an average daily production increase of 52%, from 203,000 barrels per day in 2023 to 312,000 barrels per day in 2025.

The statement also acknowledged ongoing investments in gas infrastructure, including progress on projects like the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline, Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS), and Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) pipeline, aimed at achieving ambitious targets of 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion by 2030.

While recognizing persistent challenges such as lingering public skepticism, oil theft, and global energy transitions, the CCSTEI called for continued support for Ojulari’s leadership.

It recommended further enhancements in public engagement, third-party audits, anti-corruption measures, local content development, and alignment with energy transition goals.

Concluding the appraisal, Dr. Emanuel stated: “Bashir Bayo Ojulari and his team for restoring confidence in NNPC Limited after many challenging years.

“You have proven that visionary leadership, coupled with accountability and performance excellence, can redefine an institution for the better. We charge you to soldier on undeterred.

“The Nigerian people are watching, and with your continued resolve, NNPC Limited will not only drive economic prosperity but also serve as a beacon of transparent governance in Africa.”