NNPCL CEO Kyari did not award oil blocks, insiders declare

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari has been cleared of allegations that he awarded oil blocks or marginal fields. Industry insiders have declared the claims linking him to the process "deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable." They stressed that neither Kyari nor NNPCL possess the statutory authority to allocate oil blocks or issue petroleum licenses in Nigeria. The Petroleum Industry Act places this authority with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

“

Ojulari never awarded any oil block, has no statutory role in licensing

Sources indicated that any suggestion Kyari personally awarded an oil block, influenced the allocation, or used his position to secure a field is unsupported by evidence and inconsistent with the law. "This allegation collapses under the slightest scrutiny," a senior industry official stated. "Ojulari did not conduct the bid process, evaluate applicants, select winners or award any oil block. He had absolutely no statutory role in the exercise. Those spreading this narrative know this, but they are deliberately misleading the public."

“

deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable

Industry sources familiar with the developments allege that powerful interests threatened by the NNPCL leadership's reform program are behind a coordinated campaign to discredit Kyari and force him from office. These individuals, whose commercial interests have been disrupted by Kyari's transparency drive, tighter financial controls, and cost-reduction measures, are allegedly supporting a group called the Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF). The OGPF recently alleged that a company linked to Kyari's wife benefited from a marginal oil field award but reportedly failed to produce credible evidence.

“

This allegation collapses under the slightest scrutiny

Insiders described the allegation as a calculated fabrication designed to stain Kyari's reputation, erode public confidence, and create grounds for agitation against his tenure. "This is not an innocent misunderstanding of the licensing process," one source said. "It is a deliberate attempt to hold Ojulari responsible for an exercise over which he had no legal authority, no regulatory responsibility and no decision-making power." The attacks reportedly intensified as the NNPCL leadership moved to improve transparency, enforce financial discipline, reduce operating costs, and review wasteful arrangements.

“

Ojulari did not conduct the bid process, evaluate applicants, select winners or award any oil block. He had absolutely no statutory role in the exercise. Those spreading this narrative know this, but they are deliberately misleading the public.