The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari has revealed that the company is facing what he described as coordinated attacks from individuals and groups opposed to its ongoing transformation drive.

Ojulari, who spoke on Thursday while receiving a delegation from the national leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, said the resistance was expected but would not deter the company from its mission.

“We are under attack. We will not budge to short-term pressure, as it will not be in the best interest of Nigerians. You cannot drive change without a price, and the transformation is tough,” he declared.

The NNPCL boss underscored that the company remains focused on fulfilling its mandate despite the mounting opposition. According to him, the restructuring being implemented is designed to ensure long-term sustainability that will ultimately serve the Nigerian people.

“Patience will be required from the Nigerian people to get to the other side of change, which will benefit the country and its citizens. I am committed to staying focused on the mandate given to us by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Ojulari said.

He assured the union leaders that the management team will continue to build resilience in the face of resistance, adding, “I am overwhelmed with the support from the union executives present here. The enemies of this company and Nigerians will not win.”

Focus on Nigeria’s Refineries

Ojulari highlighted that since assuming office about five months ago, a central focus of his administration has been reviving Nigeria’s moribund refineries. He explained that the company is adopting the Incorporated Joint Venture (IJV) model to guarantee the sustainability and profitability of the facilities.

“Mr. President doesn’t pressure me to do the wrong thing. That is why we are going back to the baseline to ensure whatever we are doing, the refineries work sustainably going forward. We don’t want to pretend and just do some quick fix because there is pressure on us,” he noted.

PENGASSAN’s Backing

The President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, pledged the union’s full support for NNPCL’s ongoing reforms. He praised Ojulari’s leadership, citing what he called “remarkable milestones” in tackling crude oil theft and boosting production.

“Our pipelines are now working. Also, crude oil theft has significantly reduced, leading to increased production. As PENGASSAN, we assure you that we are solidly behind you. We will work with you and collaborate with your team to ensure the stability of the system for the benefit of all Nigerians,” Osifo stated.

The union reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the NNPCL management in ensuring sustainable progress in the country’s oil and gas sector.

The statement comes just a day after NNPCL disclosed that Petrobras, Brazil’s state-owned oil giant, is seeking fresh upstream opportunities in Nigeria, particularly in deepwater and ultra-deepwater assets. The development followed a meeting between NNPCL’s Executive Vice-President for Upstream, Udy Ntia, and Petrobras CEO, Magda Chambriard, on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil.

This growing interest from foreign oil companies, alongside NNPCL’s reform agenda, is believed to underscore a renewed momentum in Nigeria’s petroleum sector — even as the national oil company braces against opposition to its transformation.

The Backstory: Why NNPC’s Reforms Spark Resistance

The resistance Ojulari alluded to is not new. For decades, the NNPC—before its transition to NNPC Limited—was regarded as one of Nigeria’s most opaque state-owned enterprises, often described by industry observers as a “black hole” for national revenue.

Allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and political interference plagued the company, particularly during the subsidy era, when billions of dollars were spent annually on fuel imports.

Over the years, reform efforts consistently met with opposition. From attempts to privatize the corporation under past administrations to calls by political figures like Atiku Abubakar, who once described NNPC as a cesspool of corruption and vowed to sell it off, every move toward change sparked controversy. Even after the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021 restructured NNPC into a limited liability company, there was a justified doubt that the transformation would genuinely end the culture of secrecy.

Ojulari’s current drive—to overhaul refineries through more transparent joint venture models, strengthen oil production, and clamp down on theft—directly threatens entrenched interests that historically benefited from inefficiency, subsidy rackets, and opaque crude oil swaps. His acknowledgment of “coordinated attacks” highlights a familiar battle: the clash between reformers seeking sustainability and actors invested in maintaining the status quo.

However, his push to revive the refineries has been criticized as a wild goose chase and a further waste of public funds, following billions of dollars invested in the rehabilitation of the refineries over the years without results.