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Since its inception, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), now known as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, has been steered by various leaders.
Each Group Managing Director (GMD) has contributed uniquely to the organisation's evolution.
Below is a chronological list of past and present GMDs, highlighting their tenures and notable achievements:
Jackson Gaius-Obaseki (May 1999 – November 2003):
Gaius-Obaseki served as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from May 1999 to November 2003.
A native of Edo State, he studied Geology at the University of Ibadan. He began his career at NNPC in 1972 and steadily advanced within the organization until his appointment as Group Managing Director in 1999.
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During his tenure, Obaseki reformed NNPC’s external oil marketing strategy. Following President Obasanjo’s directive, he canceled all annual crude oil and fuel oil sales contracts.
His goal was to eliminate intermediaries and restrict long-term contracts to legitimate end-users and major traders.
Funsho Kupolokun (November 2003 – December 2007):
Born in 1947, he earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos in 1971, studying as a Shell scholar.
Between 1973 and 1974, he trained with the Algerian National Oil Company, working as a Production Engineer in the Hassa-Messand oil field in the Sahara Desert.
He later joined the Nigeria National Oil Corporation, now known as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Throughout his tenure at NNPC, he held key positions, including Head of Special Projects in the NNPC JV, Head of the Petroleum Engineering Department, Group General Manager and Head of NNPC’s London office, and Group Executive Director, Commercial & Investment.
He played a significant role in formulating a fiscal policy document, widely recognised as the MOU, which helped stabilise the economy following a sharp decline in OPEC oil prices.
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This policy ensured a steady national income, fostered efficient industry operations, and maintained profitability despite low operating costs.
In 1999, he was appointed Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Petroleum Matters. Later, in 2003, he became the Group Managing Director of NNPC, leading reforms in the oil and gas sector until his dismissal in 2007.
Abubakar Lawal Yar'Adua (December 2007 – January 2009):
Abubakar Yar’Adua was born in July 1949 in Katsina State. His entire career was spent within the NNPC, starting in 1976 when he joined as an NYSC member at the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).
He earned a degree in Chemical Technology from Sofia University, Bulgaria, in 1974, followed by a Master’s degree in 1976.
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His career progression was swift, becoming Executive Director of KRPC in August 1995 and later serving as Managing Director from June 1999 to January 2000.
Before being appointed to lead the NNPC, he held the position of Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals.
Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo (January 2009 – April 2010):
Born in April 1959, Barkindo, a native of Adamawa State, earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a master's degree in Business Administration from Southeastern University, Washington, DC.
He was the Deputy Managing Director at Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, a joint venture between NNPC, Shell, Total, and Eni.
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Earlier in his career, he served as Special Assistant to former Petroleum Resources Minister and OPEC Secretary General Rilwanu Lukman. Between 1986 and 2010, Barkindo played significant roles at OPEC.
He was appointed to Nigeria’s delegation to OPEC in 1986 and served as Nigeria’s National Representative on OPEC’s Economic Commission Board from 1993 to 2008. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Group Managing Director of NNPC.
Shehu Ladan (April 2010 – May 2010):
Ladan had the shortest tenure as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, being dismissed just seven weeks after his appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan.
After being called to the Nigerian Bar, he completed his NYSC at the Kano State Ministry of Justice.
He then worked as a Staff Solicitor at the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and later served as Legal Adviser to the Kaduna State Rural Electrification Board and Assistant Director at the Federal Legal Aid Council in Jos.
His political career began in 1987 when he was appointed Commissioner of Education. Two years later, in 1989, he became the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
In 1990, he transitioned to the oil and gas sector, eventually rising to the position of Group General Manager of Human Resources at NNPC in 2004.
By 2006, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd, a joint venture between NNPC, Shell, Total, and Agip.
After a short break from the industry, he was appointed NNPC’s Group Managing Director in April 2010.
Austen Olusegun Oniwon (May 2010 – June 2012):
Oniwon, a native of Kogi State, was born on April 1, 1951. He earned a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He began his career at NNPC in 1977 and progressed to become Head of planning at Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company in 1987. Between 1988 and 1991, he served as a technical assistant to the Group Executive Director, Downstream. He later became Head of the Engineering and Technical Services Department at Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company from 1991 to 1992.
Oniwon also held the role of General Manager of Information Systems within the Engineering and Technology Directorate before becoming Senior Technical Assistant to the GMD and later GM of the Information Systems Department.
In May 2010, he was appointed NNPC's Group Managing Director (GMD) and retired in 2011 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.
Andrew Laah Yakubu (June 2012 – August 2014):
Yakubu, the 15th chief of NNPC, graduated in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University in 1979 and joined the corporation after his youth service.
He advanced through various roles, including Managing Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company and Group Executive Director of Exploration and Production.
A native of Kaduna State and a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, his tenure at NNPC was marred by corruption allegations that challenged the company's credibility and transparency.
Joseph Thlama Dawha (August 2014 – August 2015):
Joseph Thlama Dawha was the Group Managing Director of NNPC until August 2015. Before that, he briefly held the position of acting GED of Exploration & Production in March 2014.
Since 2005, he has led Integrated Data Services Ltd (IDSL) as Managing Director. A native of Borno State, Dawha contributed significantly to IDSL, working in various roles across the upstream and downstream sectors.
Ibe Kachikwu (July 2015 – August 2016)
Ibe Kachikwu, born in December 1956 in Onicha-Ugbo, Delta State, studied law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Nigerian Law School.
He later earned a Master’s and Doctorate in Law from Harvard University. With three decades of experience in the oil industry, he held various management roles and served as General Counsel for ExxonMobil in Nigeria.
He was appointed the Chief Executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in August 2015.
Maikanti Kacalla Baru (July 2016 – June 2019):
Born in July 1959 in Jama’are, Bauchi State, he earned a first-class Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, followed by a Ph.D. in the same field.
From December 2004 to January 2007, he was director of Carlson Services, UK (a subsidiary of NNPC).
Later, he became Special Adviser (Upstream) to the Minister of State for Petroleum before being promoted to GMD of NNPC.
Between July 1999 and April 2004, he was NNPC’s chief technical negotiator for the West African Gas Pipeline project and also served as the Group General Manager at NAPIMS.
Mele Kolo Kyari (July 2019 – April 2025):
Kyari is the 19th Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC, with a strong background in petroleum economics, crude oil, and gas trading.
He holds a B.Sc. in Geology and Earth Science from the University of Maiduguri. Kyari's career began with his service as a Well Site Geologist with DFRRI from 1987 to 1988.
He then worked at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency from 1988 to 1991, followed by a role as a seismic data processing geophysicist at NNPC’s Integrated Data Services Limited.
In 1998, he became an Exploration Geophysicist for NAPIMS's Production Sharing Contract and, from 2004, oversaw the Abuja NAPIMS office.